War of the Gods
by Zhang Liao
Summary: War of the Gods is an epic fantasy story integrating many aspects of Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Enter a world of Gods, Angels, and Dragons. Just about every character will play a role so you can bet your favorite character will show up eventually.
1. Default Chapter

ROTK - War of the Gods  
  
Chapter 1  
  
In the beginning of time, there were two separate and distinct groups of beings. There were the Gods, who lived on the spiritual plain of existence and there were the Titans, who lived on the Earth. The Gods were like men in their appearance, but the Titans were horrible and disfigured creatures who only came out at night. Though gruesome, they wielded magnificent powers that rivaled even the God's own power.  
  
The great father and ruler of the Gods, Cao Liu Sun, was a wise and powerful God who grew to despise the Titans of Earth and vowed to eradicate them and their entire race. Thus, for the first time, the Gods traveled from their paradise in the sky to Earth and saw that it was good. Their presence, though, quickly set of a chain of events that would lead to the greatest battle the world would ever know. For centuries the forces of light and dark fought for control of the land. Natural disasters, never before known on earth, became common place as the super powered beings used their awesome magic and strength to defeat their enemies.  
  
Mountains, canyons, and even oceans were created in this battle to end all battles. In the end though, it was Cao Liu Sun's overwhelming strength that pushed the Titan Leader and his children into the underworld and off of the surface of the planet. There, they were locked away and covered with mountains so that they would never again roam the Earth.  
  
There was much rejoicing in Heaven and on Earth after the defeat of the Titans, and to commemorate the Victory of Victories, Cao Liu Sun decided to create a new race of beings that would live upon earth. These new creatures though would be far weaker than the Titans and would learn to live with the land and the animals and not against them like the Giants had for so long. To ensure that that humans would never rebel against their creators, Cao Liu Sun decided to leave his brother Dong Zhuo on the physical plain with an army of heavenly supporters. The people of earth would have to rely on the benevolence and good will of the Gods in order to survive because although Cao Liu Sun had the ability to end natural disasters forever, he decided to allow them to continue to plague the earth so that no group of humans ever got too powerful.  
  
When these things were done, Cao Liu Sun once again retreated through the gate that led to the spiritual world. The fate of mankind was now in the hands of his brother, Dong Zhuo.  
  
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Unlike his brother, Dong Zhuo was a ruthless and tyrannical God. He used his power over nature to frighten and abuse the people of the world. Those who did not bow down to his rule were killed or worse. Over time, Dong Zhuo realized that the more people worshipped him, the more powerful he became. He insisted that huge temples be constructed in his honor and demanded that the people pray to him six times a day. Those who did not, vanished without a trace.  
  
The human race began to grow and thrive under Dong Zhuo's rule. Though he was cruel, he also introduced the humans to fire. Almost overnight, technological advancements that once happened so gradually that it was considered nonexistent turned into huge quantum leaps. All areas of human life progressed to new levels. The population of Earth soared as advancements in medicine, astrology, and other sciences helped people live longer and happier lives.  
  
Advancements in peaceful areas, though, were quickly matched by advancements in war. Huge naval fleets, along with excellently crafted weapons of war made neighbors turn on neighbors. Dong Zhuo, quite capable of stopping these conflicts, instead encouraged them. He would get involved with the politics of Earth and help one side defeat another, depending on which side praised him more. The other Gods who had been left with him, slowly began to despise him. His brother Cao Liu Sun had no idea what was happening on Earth though. In the Spiritual realm, affairs on the physical plain became unreal, just like on Earth, Dong Zhuo began to forget about his brother. In his eyes, he WAS the father of the Gods.  
  
Things continued like this for many generations, until something happened that would change the course of human history forever. In the physical realm, a ruling God had a special representative that worked in the world as the living word of his Lord. This representative was called the Lord's Angel. When Dong Zhuo wished to speak to the people of the world, he would send his angel, Yin Yang, rather than go himself. Humans were considered "unclean" and could only be approached by these Angels.  
  
Yin Yang was a very vicious angel, who despised his master almost as much as he despised the human race. He had wished to stay in Heaven, with Cao Liu Sun, but he had been sent to represent Dong Zhuo on Earth. Yang took that to mean he was being punished for something and always plotted against his master. When delivering messages, he would deliberately twist Dong Zhuo's words and tell the people of Earth to do horrible things to each other.  
  
Yang was, in fact, behind all of the worst wars that the humans had ever fought. One year, Dong Zhuo sent him to visit and tell the Chinese peoples and the Persian people that they needed to erect more temples to him, because his power was being diminished in response to the people's lax behavior. Instead of delivering this message, he came down from Heaven and visited the ruler of China and spoke thusly :  
  
"Human, do not be afraid. I am an Angel of the Lord and I come bearing good news. The peoples of Persia have become evil and rebel against our Lord. He has sent me here to tell you that you are to lead an attack against the King of Persia and that he will support you in your conquest. Do not delay."  
  
Then, Yin Yang visited the King of the Persians and said the same thing to them about the Chinese people. In this way, Yin Yang began one of the worst wars that mankind had ever experienced. When the two great armies met halfway between Persia and China, Dong Zhuo saw this and became infuriated. He brought hail storms and lightening down upon the Earth, devastating both sides. Both armies though, thinking themselves in the right, fought all the fiercer.  
  
Eventually, Dong Zhuo chose a side to support (because that was his nature) and helped them become victorious over their enemies. The side he choose to support was the Chinese.  
  
Yin Yang was horrified that Dong Zhuo had decided to spare the people of China because he had hoped the war would take the life of every living human and thus end the need for Gods and Angels in the physical realm. "Dong Zhuo," Yin Yang called up into the heavens after the Persians defeat. "I will have my revenge if it takes my very life!"  
  
A human had heard the angel speak thusly and approached him saying, "You speak the Lord's name in vain, yet you radiate with the glory of one of his angels. Who is this man that speaks out of both sides of his mouth?"  
  
Yin Yang turned to the man and unsheathed his sword which burned with a blaze bright enough to blind a human. The angel said, "Quickly human, tell me your name or I will cut you down where you stand."  
  
"Do not hurt me," the man said, falling to the ground and placing his hands together. "I am called Zhang Jiao. I wish only that I may be of service to you."  
  
Yin Yang laughed at the man and put his sword away so as not to scare the human any more than he already had. "What could a human possibly do for an Angel?"  
  
Zhang Jiao kept his head bowed respectively and said, "I have in my possession a sacred scroll that is written in a language belonging to no known group of humans. I am not completely ignorant of the past though, and believe the scroll to belong to the Titans of old." The man was taking an awful risk speaking the name of the Giants who once ruled the Earth. Doing so was considered blasphemy and could certainly earn him a sentence of death. This Angel though, was no ordinary angel.  
  
"Take me to this scroll human. If what you speak is true, you will be richly rewarded in Heaven." Zhang Jiao took the Angel to his humble cottage at the top of a mountain and showed him the ancient scroll and described how he had found it deep in a cave under the Xiansha Mountains... The very mountain which was purported to imprison the leader of the Titans, Zhilim Xemi.  
  
The angel looked at the scroll in shock and horror. Indeed, it was written in the ancient language of the Titans and spoke of a method for freeing the gruesome creatures. Zhang Jiao knew immediately by the look on the angels face that he had discovered something wonderful. Yin Yang turned to the human and said to him, "With this scroll and the secrets locked within, you hold the key to conquering all of Heaven and Earth."  
  
Yin Yang knew that finally, he would have his revenge. He blessed Zhang Jiao with the ability to translate the texts and then went back to his master Dong Zhuo to await the day when Zhang Jiao would call forth the Titans to reclaim the earth.  
  
To be continued... 


	2. Chapter 2

Romance of the Three Heavens  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Zhang Jiao quickly set himself up as a spiritual teacher and prophet. Thought normally Dong Zhuo would have felt a disturbance of this magnitude, his angel Yin Yang helped shelter the human from his Lord's prying eyes.  
  
Zhang Jiao's followers were known as the Yellow Scrolls because of the documents they carried with them at all times. These scrolls they carried were facsimiles of the Titan Scroll that Zhang Jiao held in his hands at all times. These Yellow Scrolls numbered in the millions and looked poised to take control of all China.  
  
Finally, ten years after his confrontation with the angel Yin Yang, Zhang Jiao declared to his peasant followers that the Day of Awakening was upon them. There was much celebration and rejoicing as Zhang Jiao began to read from the ancient text, speaking in a language which had not been spoken in over 3000 years.  
  
On that terrible and memorable day, the mountains of the earth split in half and the Titans who had been locked away for so long broke free of the chains that had held them. Immediately, these disgusting and powerful creatures began to eat the humans and animals of earth and also began to destroy cities and villages on every corner of the globe. Zhang Jiao saw that he could not control the beasts and ran away with his followers to hide with the rest of the human race in caves because the world was now once again at the mercy of the Titans.  
  
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In Heaven, the Gods were completely taken by surprise by the appearance of these ancient beasts. No one realized that it was the Angel Yin Yang who had masterminded the entire event. "Quickly, my lord," The God of War, Zhao Yun, said to Dong Zhuo. "Let us send the Angel Yin Yang to our Lord Cao Liu Sun so that he may once again quell this threat as he did in the days of old."  
  
Dong Zhuo was a bitter God though and did not want his brother, Cao Liu Sun, to interfere on the physical plain. At the head of the pure gold table, Dong Zhuo stood from his chair and said, "Cao Liu Sun is not to be warned of this threat. He has placed in me full authority of the affairs of Earth and I will honor that order. If anyone approaches the Gate to the Spiritual Realm, he will be killed or imprisoned along with the Titans."  
  
He paused to make sure his declaration had been understood by all of the Gods present. Then, he said, "I will lead the attack against the Titans. If you support me in this effort, you will be richly rewarded. Who will come with me?"  
  
All of the Gods present consented, but secretly, Zhao Yun went to the Angel Yin Yang after the conference and said to him, "The war between Gods and Titans raged for centuries and it was only with the strength of our true Lord, Cao Liu Sun, that we defeated them. I fear that Dong Zhuo does not have the power necessary to repeat such a victory and if the battle rages too long, I fear that the human race will not survive."  
  
Yin Yang, of course, was absolutely delighted at the prospect, but remained calm in his manner. "Zhao Yun, I understand this to be true as well, though I do not know what can be done."  
  
Zhao Yun whispered this into the Angel's mind so as not to say anything out loud that might be overheard : "You alone know where the gate between the two realms is located. Go secretly to Cao Liu Sun and tell him what has happened. It is our only hope."  
  
Yin Yang agreed, although he had no intention of warning Cao Liu Sun. Instead, he flew off into space and went to the moon in order to wait there until the war had been settled. He had absolute confidence that the Titans would win. After that happened, he planned to go back to the spiritual realm and make up more lies to covered up his machinations.  
  
Zhao Yun did not know of the Angel's treachery though and secretly told the other Gods besides Dong Zhuo that Cao Liu Sun was coming to help them in their battle.  
  
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A year later, Dong Zhuo decided it was time to strike. Unsure if Yin Yang had made it to the gate, Zhao Yun and the other Gods decided to begin the battle in hopes that Cao Liu Sun would arrive as reinforcements. And so, Dong Zhuo and the other Gods Zhao Yun, Lu Meng, Huang Gai, and the Goddess of War, Shang Xiang went down to Earth upon their heavenly white battle horses to battle the forces of darkness.  
  
A month of battle quickly stretched into two months as they waited desperately for Cao Liu Sun's arrival. On their side was an army of humans who had come to support them, but it did little good. The humans needed to be enchanted by the Gods in order for them to be of any use against the disfigured Titans. The enchantment process though took away valuable power from the Gods - power that was desperately needed.  
  
In the third month, they had managed to drive the Titan leader Zhilim Xemi along with his hundreds of Titan children back to a single continent. Dong Zhuo had displayed outstanding combat intelligence so far in the campaign against the creatures, and the other Gods credited his involvement in so many human battles for the successes.  
  
Now, the Gods were arrayed on the plains of North America, separated from the Titan encampment by only a few mountain ranges. In his command tent, Dong Zhuo gathered the other Gods along with the enchanted human leaders who found beside them. "Xemi has made another tactical mistake in his retreat across this mountain range," Zhuo said, pointing to a map laid upon the table. "He believes this pass here to be the only route we may take to reach his location."  
  
"What do you suggest," Hua Xiong, one of the human leaders, asked.  
  
"You will go through his pass as they expect," Dong Zhuo answered, "but I will lead Zhao Yun and Lu Meng under the mountain and come out behind them. They will be unable to take us on two fronts."  
  
Hua Xiong looked confused. "Under the mountain my Lord?" Dong Zhuo did not answer, but instead smiled to the human.  
  
And so, Hua Xiong led the humans, their weapons and armor still enchanted, through the mountainous pass and toward the enemy. As expected, three Titans were there waiting for them. As soon as they came into sight, the giants began throwing boulders the size of houses at the approaching human army. "Fall back!" Hua Xiong screamed as the rocks rained down on them, decimating their unit.  
  
The God Huang Gai suddenly came up from the rear of the formation and said to Hua Xiong, "Did you hear nothing that Dong Zhuo said? If we retreat now, Dong Zhuo's plan will be ruined. We must hold them off here until we hear news from him." A boulder was falling right toward where the two men stood, but Huang Gai lifted up his Shadow Club and smashed the incoming boulder into fine dust.  
  
"I will go in myself!" Huang Gai yelled loudly. He charged down the pass toward the three giants. Hua Xiong just stood and stared in complete shock. Though he had battled alongside the Gods before, their power and strength never ceased to amaze him. Huang Gai leaped from his steed and grew to three times his normal height so that he became as tall as the Titans themselves. Then, he began to wrestle all three of them. Their combined strengths were enough to reshape the mountains underneath them.  
  
At long last the three Titans began to retreat, yelling something to each other in their strange tongue. Huang Gai turned to his human companions and shrank down to their size. "Follow me! Dong Zhuo has come up behind the enemy force. Now we will surely crush them!"  
  
They charged down the path and came out into the plains on the other side of the mountain range, their enchanted steeds taking them as fast as sound through the canyons. Dong Zhuo and the two Gods Lu Meng And Zhao Yun were already there among the hundreds of giant Titans, battling with weapons that glowed with energy and burst into flames each time they struck a Titan. The creatures were completely surrounded and could not mount an adequate defense. For too long they had been chained beneath the earth and their strength and power had diminished in that time.  
  
Upon the highest mountain peak, Zhang Jiao stood and watched the Titan slaughter. A single tear ran down his cheek. He had failed Yin Yang, the Angel who had blessed him with this one cause. Though the Titans were horrible, Zhang Jiao knew his fate would be worse if he did not do something. He opened the ancient Titan Scroll as the last of the great creatures fell in combat and began to read. It was a spell... One more powerful than anything a Titan could dream up. How it had gotten into their text, Zhang Jiao did not know. He only knew he had to go through with it... Or he would surely face the wrath of the Gods.  
  
And so, the last word of the spell was spoken just as Zhilim Xemi was pierced through the heart by Dong Zhuo's blade. In that fateful moment, the very fabric upon which the universe was painted... was ripped asunder by the act of one misguided man - Zhang Jiao.  
  
To be continued... 


	3. Chapter 3

ROTK - War of the Gods  
  
Chapter 3  
  
A shockwave emanated from the top of the mountain upon which Zhang Jiao stood and was sent off in every direction. Not only did it pierce through the physical realm, but it also shattered into the spiritual realm.  
  
It was a spell as old as time itself and had been created to counter the power of the Gods. Now the force was unleashed and nothing would ever be the same again. The shockwave slammed through the gate between the physical and spiritual realms and killed all of the spirits that resided there except Cao Liu Sun. When it hit the father of the Gods, it split his psyche into three. Violently knocked from the spiritual world, he fell to the earth and shattered into three separate Gods, each awaking in a separate place there.  
  
One of the three new Gods found himself in the city of Luo Yang. This God had acquired all of the wisdom and cunning of the great father Cao Liu Sun. This God's name was Cao Cao.  
  
One of the other new Gods found himself in the city of Cheng Du. This God had acquired all of the humbleness and humility of the great father Cao Liu Sun. This God's name was Liu Bei.  
  
The last new God found himself in the province of Jiang Dong. This God had acquired all of the strength and courage of the great father Cao Liu Sun. This God's name was Sun Jian.  
  
Each one believing himself to be the true ruler of Heaven and Earth, all three leave their places of birth in order to find Dong Zhuo.  
  
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At that fateful moment when the Titan leader Zhilim Xemi was cut down, all of the Gods fell to their knees when the powerful shockwave Zhang Jiao unleashed hit them. Zhao Yun quickly pointed to the top of the mountain where Zhang Jiao. "Look there!" he screamed.  
  
Dong Zhuo quickly teleported to the top of the mountain and laid hold of the human. "Who are you sorcerer? What sort of demon have you unleashed upon the universe?" Dong Zhuo saw that Zhang Jiao had in his hand an ancient scroll written in the language of the Titans.  
  
"Please do not kill me!" Zhang Jiao pleaded with Dong Zhuo.  
  
"Where did you get this scroll human? Tell me how you were able to read it or I will rip your limbs from your still living body."  
  
"It was the Angel Yin Yang," Zhang Jiao said through thick sobs. "Please do not hurt me. I was only doing what I was told to do."  
  
Suddenly, Dong Zhuo realized that he had been betrayed by his own Angel. The realization of it was enough to make him sick. Dong Zhuo bound the human and together they teleported to the top of an active volcano somewhere out in the Pacific Ocean. The fumes would have killed Zhang Jiao if Dong Zhuo had not been there to make sure the smoke did not enter his lungs. "Toss that scroll into the volcano, or I will be forced to throw you in with it."  
  
Zhang Jiao did as he was told and let go of the ancient Yellow Scroll. It fell down into the lava and disappeared. Then, they teleported back to China and to the Palace of the Emperor. The great ruler, who had been visited many times by the Lords Angel, quickly fell down and worshipped Dong Zhuo.  
  
"Human," Dong Zhuo said to the Emperor. "Because of your support against the Titans, China will always be blessed in my eyes. I have come to tell you - The age of Angels is over. I was betrayed by my own representative and so now I have come down here to live among you all. You are to begin construction of a Temple, even greater than your own Palace where I may reside. Do this immediately."  
  
The Emperor gave the orders to his Prime Minister and the man quickly saw to the preparations. "Also," Dong Zhuo said to the Emperor, "This man was in collaboration with the Angel Yin Yang. His name is Zhang Jiao and because of his actions, his entire family is to bear the shame of being related to him for all time. Can you make this so?"  
  
"At once," the Emperor said. Dong Zhuo then took Zhang Jiao out into the city square and made it known to all that he was the God of Heaven and Earth. Then, he had each of Zhang Jiao's five limbs tied to a certain horse and each was made to run away in 5 different directions, never to return. In this way, Zhang Jiao was ripped asunder in a most gruesome manner as a demonstration to all who would oppose Dong Zhuo's rule.  
  
Dong Zhuo blessed the builders of his temple and it was erected in an outstanding time of only one month. It was the tallest and most beautiful structure that had ever been created by the hands of man. It was made of gold, and marble, and ivory, and jade. After Dong Zhuo had begun his residency there, he called for all of the Gods to meet him there and said to them :  
  
"The spiritual plane has ceased to be and our great Lord Cao Liu Sun has been killed along with the rest of our family. It is up to us now to remake Earth as it was in Heaven so that I may rule forever and ever."  
  
All of the Gods were saddened to learn that their father had been killed and many weeped openly. Some of the more vengeful of the Gods went and sought to punish the humans of the world for the death of Cao Liu Sun. In this way, many civilizations were destroyed before Dong Zhuo ordered that attacks on humans were no stop.  
  
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A year later, three very important guests arrived at the Temple. They were Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Jian. They did not arrive together and each had arrived claiming to be the one true ruler Cao Liu Sun. Dong Zhuo had all three of the men arrested and thrown into prison. Because they were clearly Gods and not men, the shackles and bars used to contain them needed to be enchanted by Dong Zhuo himself.  
  
Though he claimed not to believe them, secretly, Dong Zhuo knew that the three Gods were in fact all different parts of Cao Liu Sun's psyche which had been shattered by Zhang Jiao's powerful spell. He forbid any of the other Gods from visiting the three prisoners in fear that their true identities would be revealed. Luckily though, even the three had no clue who or what they were. "Cao Liu Sun... Brother... Everything is exactly how should be." Dong Zhuo laughed and threw away the enchanted key to their prison doors. He alone would rule Earth and Heaven.  
  
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Affairs in China quickly took a turn for the worse. The Emperor had become like a puppet of Dong Zhuo and the Lord was always concerning himself in state matters. It turned out though that Dong Zhuo knew more about war and battles than he did about running a state. Famine and rebellions quickly swept across the land and people stopped worshipping Dong Zhuo. He was helpless to stop it anyway because the people stopped supporting him. Without their prayers or worship, he grew weaker and weaker...  
  
One day, Zhao Yun visited Dong Zhuo out of desperation and pleaded with him : "My Lord, something must be done. The city of Chang An has recently fallen to barbarians. Please, allow me to lead an army of humans there and I will surely take it back in your name."  
  
"Never!" Dong Zhuo said, standing from his throne which raised high above his court. "If barbarians have captured Chang An it is because I ALLOWED them to capture Chang An. Do you really think that human affairs are lost on me? Do you think I know nothing about politics or bureaucracy? Leave me now or I will imprison you as well!"  
  
Imprison him as well? Zhao Yun was unaware that Dong Zhuo was keeping prisoners. If a certain human ever lost favor with Dong Zhuo, he was usually killed instantly in a most gruesome fashion. Was Dong Zhuo keeping a human as a prisoner? Or maybe even a God?  
  
Zhao Yun left Dong Zhuo's chamber and went deep into the Temple to where the secret underground basement was. It took much questioning of the buildings engineers before he found the secret dungeon. It was several stories below ground where no light reached.  
  
The first cell he came to was one belonging to Liu Bei. When Liu Bei saw his son, he rushed to the metal door and began to weep openly. "My son, Zhao Yun! I thought I would never see you again! Please, come closer so that I may look upon your face one last time." The man looked different than Cao Liu Sun, but his kindness was unmistakable. Zhao Yun began to weep as well as he rushed to the cell door and embraced his father from through the cold metal bars.  
  
Thus father and son were reunited. How Liu Bei was able to escape will be explained in the next chapter.  
  
To be continued.... 


	4. Chapter 4

ROTK - War of the Gods  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Because the cell door and the shackles on Liu Bei's hands and feet were enchanted, Zhao Yun knew he would need to find the key somehow, but he had no idea where Dong Zhuo would keep it. "Please, do not fear father," Zhao Yun said to him. "I will return as quickly as I can to get you out of here. Then we will lock Dong Zhuo up and see how he enjoys to be caged like a Titan."  
  
"Though he is cruel my son, he is still my brother. I could not bear to see him locked away. Perhaps he simply did not know it was truly me because of what happened..." Liu Bei knew something happened to knock him from the spiritual plain, but he did not know the extent of what had happened.  
  
Zhao Yun started to head back to the stairs that would take him back up to the main levels of the Temple, but he was stopped when he heard a voice calling to him. "Zhao Yun, don't go!" The God of War turned from the stairs and went toward the place where the voice had come from. In another cell, away from the one containing Liu Bei, there was another man, arms and legs shackled.  
  
"My son," the man said, rushing forth from the darkness. It was Sun Jian. "Quickly, you've got to find the key to my cell so that I may escape and challenge Dong Zhuo properly. He was able to imprison me only by capturing me through a ruse. Once I'm free, I know I'll be able to defeat him for good." Though the man did not look like his father, he had an unmistakable courage and a fierceness in his eyes - the same look that Cao Liu Sun had when he first defeated the Titans three thousand years before.  
  
But how could both men be his father?  
  
"I will do my best father," Zhao Yun said, his head spinning. He began to retreat to the stairwell again, but another voice called out for him.  
  
"Zhao Yun, you act without thinking."  
  
Zhao Yun went to where the voice was coming from. It was another man, locked in a different cell. This man though, looked far more sinister than the last two men, and had a knowing look in his eyes. "Come here my son," Cao Cao said, sensing the hesitation in his son. "Though my appearance may be different, I will have the wisdom needed to defeat Dong Zhuo at his own game. After I escape here, we may begin work on rebuilding my Dynasty."  
  
If there was any resemblance between this new man and Cao Liu Sun, it was only by stretch of the imagination. "What do you propose?" Zhao Yun asked hesitantly.  
  
"If I know my brother at all, I know he would have thrown away the key as soon as the had finished locking me away." "What can be done then?" Zhao Yun asked.  
  
"Your brother, Xu Shu, is the God of Metalworking. Bring him here as quickly as you can without drawing the attention of Dong Zhuo. If he can create a lock needed to undo my bonds, then I think together me and you can enchant the key enough to work on these devices. Hurry now before word reaches Dong Zhuo."  
  
"What about the other two," Zhao Yun asked.  
  
"What other two?" Cao Cao eyed his son suspiciously, expecting a ruse of some sort. Obviously, the three men locked in the dungeon did not know of the others existence.  
  
"Never mind," Zhao Yun said quickly. "I will fetch Xu Shu and hopefully he will be able to manufacture a proper key." Zhao Yun then left the dungeon, more confused than he had ever been before. One of these men is my father, he thought. But which one...?  
  
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Cao Cao's plan worked perfectly and Xu Shu was more than happy to help out. He had no love for Dong Zhuo and also wanted to see his father again. When he saw Cao Cao, he fell down and wept with joy. "You fool," Cao Cao said, "You will surely draw the attention of the guards. Look at this lock. Hurry." Xu Shu looked at the lock and knew that he could make a key that would suffice.  
  
The next day, Zhao Yun and Xu Shu returned with a key. Combining their efforts, Zhao Yun and Cao Cao were able to enchant the key properly and free Cao Cao from his bonds. When this happened, Zhao Yun suddenly felt a shiver run through his spine and had the overwhelming sense that he would regret his actions someday.  
  
"Let us go now my sons," Cao Cao said, rubbing his wrists where the shackles had been.  
  
"First we have to free the others," Zhao Yun said, taking the key from Cao Cao. Neither Cao Cao nor Xu Shu knew what Zhao Yun was talking about, but they followed him through the labyrinth of cells. The first one they came to was Sun Jian's. Zhao Yun quickly unlocked the door and his shackles.  
  
"Excellent work Zhao Yun," he said, as he stepped out of his cell. Suddenly, Cao Cao came around the corner and froze where he stood. Both men eyed each other suspiciously. Something was definitely wrong here, though neither could place there finger on what it was.  
  
"Who are you?" Sun Jian demanded.  
  
"I'm Cao Liu Sun," Cao Cao responded with a definite edge to his voice.  
  
Zhao Yun waited to see what would happen, but Sun Jian said nothing. He seemed to just think it over carefully. Cao Cao seemed threatened by the other man, but Sun Jian just seemed intrigued.  
  
"I hate to interrupt father," Zhao Yun said, "but we've got one more to free."  
  
The God continued through the dark corridors to where Liu Bei's cell was. The man quickly rushed to the cell door and took Zhao Yun's hand. "You've returned already Zhao Yun! And with a key! Heaven is surely smiling upon us both."  
  
Just as he said this, Cao Cao, Sun Jian, and Xu Shu came around the corner and all three of the men had to do double takes of each other. "What is the meaning of this," Liu Bei suddenly asked. "Who are these men?"  
  
"These men are Cao Liu Sun father," Zhao Yun said, opening the cell door with the key and stepping up to Liu Bei. "These men are your shadows."  
  
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Zhao Yun had figured it out while Xu Shu was working on the key. He realized that Cao Liu Sun had been too powerful of a God to be destroyed by Zhang Jiao's spell, even if he WAS in the spiritual realm at the time. He had understood that part, but what he didn't understand was that all three men had the same right to call themselves Cao Liu Sun. In Zhao Yun's eyes, Liu Bei was the real father, and the other two were shadows.  
  
"How dare you," Cao Cao said, stepping forward threateningly toward Zhao Yun. "My own son has turned against me? So be it! I will crush you into dusk along with Dong Zhuo!" He started to walk away toward the stairs, but Sun Jian called out for him to stop.  
  
"Cao Cao," he said, "Now is not the time to argue and fight. Dong Zhuo must have put us all here together without revealing the existence of the others so that we would fight if we ever escaped."  
  
"What did you call me?" Cao Cao said, turning around.  
  
"I called you..." Suddenly, all three of the men knew what their name was and that none of them were in fact Cao Liu Sun. That great father was dead, and in his place were the three aspects of himself... Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Jian.  
  
"Sun Jian is right," Liu Bei said stepping forward past Zhao Yun. "If we do not work together to defeat Dong Zhuo, we will have succumbed to another one of his schemes. Since we were once the same individual God, it should not be that difficult to work together to defeat him."  
  
Cao Cao reluctantly agreed, but deep down inside him, hatred for the other two men had been born.  
  
To be continued.... 


	5. Chapter 5

ROTK - War of the Gods  
  
Chapter 5  
  
One day, while Dong Zhuo was lounging in one of the Temples many rooms with a dozen or so concubines, a strange visitor arrived. Dong Zhuo was about to attack the man for intruding so rudely, but then he got a good look at the man and decided against it.  
  
The stranger stood six and a half feet tall and was adorned with beautiful gold armor. His belt buckle was in the shape of a lion's head and he had two pheasant tails protruding from his helmet. What struck Dong Zhuo the most though was the man's eyes. They were a piercing blue color and when Dong Zhuo looked into them, he felt as if he had just stared into the abyss.  
  
Almost instantly it dawned on Dong Zhuo that this was no man. It was Lu Bu, the Angel of Death. Somehow he had escaped from the underworld and now stood right there before Dong Zhuo.  
  
"What... What are you doing here?" Dong Zhuo asked. The Angel of Death was the only being in the universe that could put fear into a God's heart.  
  
"Dong Zhuo..." He said, his voice low and terrifying. All of the concubines in the room died instantly at the sound of it. "A wave of energy, triggered by a spell on earth, has penetrated my domain in the underworld and cast me out."  
  
He paused a moment, and the silence was overwhelming. "It has also come to my attention that you are without an Angel. A Lord cannot stay long on Earth without a heavenly representative..."  
  
Dong Zhuo couldn't believe what was happening. The Angel of Death had come to HIM to serve. Nothing could stop him now. Not the angels in heaven, nor the demons in hell. The God smiled, revealing a row of yellow, decayed teeth. "Welcome home my son."  
  
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In Ru Nan, the three men who were once Cao Liu Sun met with the Gods who opposed Dong Zhuo's rule. It was hard for them to believe by just hearing it that Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Sun Jian were all their father, but seeing them made it absolutely certain. Each man radiated a different quality that had made Cao Liu Sun the greatest of Heaven's Gods.  
  
"The time to attack is now," Sun Jian said, standing at the head of the table. At the other end sat Cao Cao, who now had his arms folded across his chest in defiance.  
  
"A direct assault is a foolish idea," Cao Cao said back. "Now that he has Lu Bu on his side, he is practically invincible." Everyone was quiet for a while at the mention of Lu Bu's name. Children of earth grew up fearing the Angel's name, and it was no different in Heaven. The Gods were mortal too, as much as they hated to admit it.  
  
Sun Jian, forever the courageous tiger, pounded on the table in front of him so hard that it shattered in half, sending splinters flying through the air. "I will attack him now! If you are too scared to fight, than you may die sitting down! I though, will not!"  
  
Sun Jian stormed from the tent. A few of the Gods who had quickly taken a liking for Sun Jian's fearless attitude, like Lu Meng and Huang Gai, quickly left the tent as well to follow their lord. Cao Cao stared at Liu Bei and Zhao Yun who stood behind him. "And what about you Liu Bei? Will you follow in your shadow's footsteps?"  
  
He was probing for a response from the man, and he almost got one from Zhao Yun, but Liu Bei put his hand up to silence his son. Liu Bei then stood from the table and bowed low to Cao Cao. "Please excuse me. I have much to think about and the environment here is not conducive to such mental strain. I'm sure you will forgive me." Then, he too left the tent with Zhao Yun in tow.  
  
Xu Shu looked at his lord and frowned. "Now what?"  
  
"Now..." Cao Cao said, folding his hands in front of himself. "We wait."  
  
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Liu Bei and Zhao Yun walked a ways in silence before the older man turned to Zhao Yun and said, "My son, please do not take offense, but I was not lying when I spoke to Cao Cao. Much has happened and I will need time to think of what course if best to take."  
  
"Yes father," Zhao Yun said, lowing his head. He left his father to his solitude and went back to his encampment outside of the city walls where his human troops resided.  
  
Liu Bei began walking, not really sure where he was going. Something was guiding him though, and he felt best to led his instincts take control. He walked for about two hours when he suddenly came upon a small village. The people there were in the midst of some sort celebration. Liu Bei approached one of the people and asked, "What is the meaning of this celebration?"  
  
"Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, my lord," the boy said, almost shocked at the strangers ignorance. "They have returned from the next village over with the rebel's head who raided last week. Apparently, they were even able to rescue some of the grain which was stolen."  
  
Liu Bei quickly clouded the boys mind so he would not remember the conversation and walked further into the village square where a feast was being prepared. There in the center of the commotion were two very large men were seated. The shorter one had a mustache with pointed tips and a red little nose. He was certainly a beast of a man and he appeared to be enjoying his fill of wine. The other man was much taller and had a long, beautiful beard that seemed to flow on forever.  
  
Liu Bei approached the two men and congratulated them on their successful venture. Both men were shocked at the kind air that Liu Bei radiated. They begged him to stay longer to enjoy the lambs which had been slaughtered and he did so at their request. He was shocked when they declared that he was to be the man of honor at the banquet.  
  
"Oh please," Liu Bei said, "That's really not necessary."  
  
"Oh course it is," Zhang Fei said. "What did we do besides kill a ruffian and replace some stolen grain. Really it is YOU we should be honoring. Think you that we don't know..."  
  
Guan Yu silenced his companion before he said anything that might make Liu Bei uncomfortable. And so, the three men along with the people of the village enjoyed a long night of feasting and drinking. In the morning, Liu Bei realized that he had fallen asleep at some point. He quickly left the little house he had found himself in and was surprised to meet Zhang Fei and Guan Yu outside waiting for him.  
  
Before Liu Bei could speak, Guan Yu said, "Please hear me out. For a long time my brother and I have been searching for a lord to follow. The Emperor has become like a puppet of the evil deity Dong Zhuo. Though we purported last night not to know of your true nature, we know you are a God."  
  
"Why do you say such a thing?" Liu Bei asked. "I am but a simple traveler passing through." The two men would not accept it though and eventually Liu Bei had to tell them everything that had transpired, going all the way back to the beginning of time. The story took several hours to tell, but the attention of both men was completely trained on Liu Bei the whole time.  
  
Finally, when he was done, Guan Yu said, "It is decided then. Zhang Fei and myself will join you, no matter where that path might lead." Liu Bei smiled at the two men. Truly, in them, he found two men that he could fight and die alongside.  
  
"I agree to this proposition under only one circumstance."  
  
"Anything," Zhang Fei said quickly.  
  
"The only way I will allow you two to swear loyalty to me and help me in my struggles, is if I too may swear loyalty to you and promise to help you in all of your struggles."  
  
The two men agreed and they retreated to Guan Yu's Peace Tree Garden to swear loyalty. Oaths though, were not the only thing that would happen there. All three men drew their weapons and touched them together in the air. The names of the brother's weapons were Blue Moon Dragon and Serpent Blade. When Liu Bei drew his sword, the brothers could see that it radiated with heavenly power.  
  
"I swear to live and die by your sides Zhang Fei and Guan Yu," Liu Bei said, placing his weapon upon theirs. "And with this gesture, I do enchant thee." Suddenly, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were filled with heavenly spirit. Though human, they would now possess the strength and power of Gods. "It is done," Liu Bei said, pulling his sword away.  
  
"And now it's time to show Dong Zhuo who the TRUE ruler of heaven and earth is!"  
  
To be continued... 


	6. Chapter 6

ROTK - War of the Gods  
  
Chapter 6  
  
After reports arrived to Dong Zhuo that the three prisoners had escaped and that the other Gods were flocking to them in order to challenge Dong Zhuo's rule, he sent out word to all the nations on earth through the Angel of Death that if anyone attacked his Temple in Luo Yang, he would release the Titans once again.  
  
Almost a fifth of the world's population had been killed and almost ALL of the cities destroyed after Zhang Jiao had released them from their prison. Though the Titans were dead now, Dong Zhuo was declaring that because he was supported by Lu Bu, he could bring the Titans back from death. This was, theoretically, supposed to end any plans for an insurrection, but instead it only drove Sun Jian further over the edge.  
  
"Raise the Titans from death? His blasphemy has gone too far this time. I risked my life and the lives of my children to defeat them the first time, and he has the audacity to say such a thing? It is settled, we attack before the week is through."  
  
Sun Jian had been in his tent with only his most loyal of children when he said this, but Liu Bei was close enough to hear. He gathered Zhao Yun and his two brothers Guan Yu and Zhang Fei and went into Sun Jian's command tent. "What do you want?" Sun Jian asked bitterly.  
  
"I just want you to know that no matter when you attack, we four are here to help you."  
  
"A shadow, two humans, and a betrayer for a son," Lu Meng said under his breath. "A lot of help that will be."  
  
Zhao Yun was once more coming forth to defend his honor, but Liu Bei stopped him. "Dong Zhuo is the threat now," he said. "Cao Cao will probably not be coming to help. Without him or his supporters, this will already be a difficult battle. What honor do you hope to have in death?"  
  
Lu Meng did not respond this time, nor did he recognize the fact that Liu Bei had spoken at all. "We accept your support Liu Bie," Sun Jian said. "Be prepared for the fight of your life though. With Lu Bu on his side, we may all be killed."  
  
Liu Bei looked Sun Jian directly in the eyes and said, "We've defeated Titans before. What fear should we have?"  
  
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Less than a week later, Sun Jian's grand army was marching toward Luo Yang, with Liu Bei and his supporters in the rear. He had assembled close to a million men from across the land, due in no small part to his heavenly influence. He was betting that Dong Zhuo would not be able to assemble half as many in the time given. At sunset on the last day of the following week, they arrived at a bridge that would take them into the province of Luo Yang. Camped between the amazing army and the bridge though was a small encampment with thousands of standards bearing Lu Bu's name fluttered in the wind. The Angel of Death was not there though. In fact, there was no one there.  
  
"This is some sort of ruse," Sun Jian said, stopping his force. Liu Bei and his supporters came up from the rear to see what had halted the procession.  
  
"This is some sort of ruse," Liu Bei said to Sun Jian. The other man just gave him a funny look like he had just said that. "Send one of your men in to investigate."  
  
Sun Jian signaled one of his more experienced human fighters to run to the encampment and scout out any danger. A few moments passed. Then, a few moments stretched into about half an hour.  
  
"Let me go look," Zhang Fei said, getting impatient. Sun Jian shrugged and Zhang Fei ran out to the encampment from which the scout never returned. Liu Bei waited a while and then started to get nervous. If anything happened to Zhang Fei...  
  
"Look sir! There!" A soldier said, pointing into the sky. The looked and made out a small dot upon the blue sky. It appeared to be getting bigger. "Incoming!"  
  
Everyone dashed off the main trail just as Zhang Fei and his horse smashed down onto the ground at about seventy miles an hour. The horse was killed instantly, but Zhang Fei appeared to be alive... Barely.  
  
"Lu Meng, Huang Gai, follow me!" Sun Jian yelled. He darted forward toward the small encampment on his horse, his generals close behind.  
  
"It's too dangerous," Liu Bei shouted after him. Of course Sun Jian ignored Liu Bei, so the man left behind went to his fallen brother's side. "Zhang Fei, are you all right?"  
  
"It's a trap..." Zhang Fei muttered, and then passed out.  
  
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Sun Jian and his generals Lu Meng and Huang Gai ran through the gate of the encampment and then skidded to a halt. There wasn't anyone where. "Lu Bu! I know you're here! Come out and fight the Tiger of Jiang Dong if you dare!"  
  
There was nothing but silence, but then... "Sun Jian!" a voice called out. It was quiet, almost like a whisper, but all three men had heard it and it sent shivers through all of their spines. It was the voice of Death.  
  
Lu Bu appeared from one of the tents, holding his Crescent Halberd in one hand. Sun Jian rode toward him as fast as he could, but Lu Bu was quicker than he had thought. The Angel swung his weapon with one hand at the horse's legs. Although enchanted, the weapon still cut clean through it's legs and knocked it and it's rider to the ground.  
  
Sun Jian got up and turned around just in time. Lu Bu's halberd was coming right now him, the blade burning with a white hot blaze. Sun Jian lifted his sword up and caught the incoming swing, though it took every ounce of strength he had to keep the Angel back.  
  
Lu Meng charged at Lu Bu, but the Angel leaped into the air and swung his weapon around 180 degrees and hit Lu Meng square center on his breast plate, knocking him from his ride. Lu Bu then threw his weapon like a javelin at Huang Gai's horse. It pierced straight into the animal between the eyes, killing it instantly. In a matter of moments, Lu Bu had unseated all three men.  
  
Suddenly, a great alarm was sounded and the sounds of combat erupted around the encampment. Lu Bu's troops, which had been in hiding, were now pouncing on Sun Jian's force back on the trail.  
  
Sun Jian ran at Lu Bu who was now defenseless, but the Angel stomped the ground, causing a small tremor which knocked Sun Jian to the ground. Then, Lu Bu kicked him full in the face, sending him flying through the air. Huang Gai, ran in swinging his Battle Club, but Lu Bu caught the attack with one hand and yanked the weapon from Gai's hand. Lu Bu hook punched Huang Gai on the side of his face while swinging the club in from the other side at his rips. Both attacks hit their mark, knocking Huang Gai to the ground.  
  
Sun Jian and Lu Meng were both running at Lu Bu now from opposite directions, so Lu Bu flung Huang Gai's club at Lu Meng as hard as he could. It knocked him square in the nose at about 600 miles an hour, breaking the cartilage and spewing blood everywhere. Sun Jian swung wildly at the Angel, but Lu Bu easily dodged the attacks and then kicked Sun Jian away when he found an opening.  
  
"Do you hear that sound Sun Jian?" Lu Bu asked, towering over his opponent. "That is the sound of your army being crushed. It is the sound of death. Did you really think you could defeat me?"  
  
Sun Jian saw that Huang Gai was getting up off the ground, holding his left side and wincing in pain. "Get back to the main force," Sun Jian shouted at him.  
  
Lu Bu laughed. "You're going to fight me alone?" Sun Jian stood up, grabbing a handful of dirt as he did.  
  
"My quarrel is not with you Lu Bu."  
  
"When you quarrel with the master, you quarrel with his students," Lu Bu said back at him fiercely. Sun Jian knew this was his last chance. He flung the handful of dirt at Lu Bu's face and then darted over to Lu Meng's side. His general's face was bleeding pretty badly from the club hit. He lifted Lu Meng up and headed for the gates of the encampment so that they may go help the regular soldiers, but he couldn't hear Lu Bu behind him.  
  
He chanced a look back and saw that Lu Bu was rubbing his eyes frantically, but not making any sounds. They ran out of the encampment, Huang Gai following them. It was a scene of complete devastation. The army had been taken completely by surprise on all sides. He saw in the fray Liu Bei upon his horse slaughtering hundreds and hundreds of men, but not making a dent in the attacking forces numbers.  
  
"Retreating so soon?" a voice said from behind him. Huang Gai had already run ahead into the fray, but Sun Jian was still there by the gate of the camp, holding up an unconscious Lu Meng. He turned around slowly, not knowing what to expect.  
  
The entire camp had been peeled back, revealing it to be nothing but a hollow shell that concealed a gigantic pit underneath. Out of this huge hole, Red Hare, the Great Red Dragon, had emerged and seated upon it's back was Lu Bu, holding his halberd which blazed with heavenly glory. "I am the Angel of Death! Your time has come Tiger of Jiang Dong!"  
  
To be continued... 


	7. Chapter 7

ROTK - War of the Gods  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Sun Jian stared up at Red Hare and it's rider with a wild fierceness in his eyes. If he wasn't protecting his fallen General, he would have killed them both where they stood. The dragon opened it's mouth and sprayed a line of fire down at Sun Jian and Lu Meng, but Sun Jian erected an energy shield around himself before the force hit. Instead, the river of fire was deflected into the nearby woods where a huge explosion started a terrible forest fire.  
  
The beast raised up on it's hind legs and then came back down, smashing it's clawed feet at where Sun Jian had been standing. He was no longer there though, because he had teleported away. Lu Bu urged the animal forward and it began attacking rebel troops. It knocked troops away as if they were toys and sprayed fire at any troops not within it's reach. Fires erupted everywhere and turned the landscape into a living hell. Everywhere, humans were being devoured by flame. The Angel of Death laughed as Red Hare began flapping his wings and lifted them both into the air above the inferno.  
  
Sun Jian appeared beside Liu Bei after putting Lu Meng somewhere safe and drew his sword. They were about a mile away from Lu Bu and his dragon now, but the enemy soldiers were still coming in from all sides. Sun Jian and Liu Bei put their backs together and began slicing frantically at the wall of soldiers that surrounded them.  
  
"Give me your power!" Sun Jian shouted over the screams of horror and yells of pain.  
  
"I trust you!" Liu Bei shouted back. Sun Jian concentrated and then called on the power of heaven. Huge lightening bolts began striking the earth around them, knocking down several troops in each cluster hit. The blades of both men began to glow with a bright red fierceness as they cut back. "We can't stay here much longer!"  
  
"We can't leave the troops here to die!" Sun Jian cried out "We must fight harder!" It looked like a hopeless cause, because the rebel troops were being cut down everywhere, the entire ground completely saturated in human blood.  
  
A great call filled the air suddenly and everyone stopped fighting to turn and see what had caused it. There, from over the top of a nearby hill, another army appeared. Upon their standards were written, "Cao Cao, Ruler of Heaven and Earth." They were saved.  
  
Lu Bu saw Cao Cao's army from his place high above the field of battle and frowned. His western force has completely routed now. Somehow, they had known about the ambush. "Fall back!" Lu Bu shouted to his men. "Fall back to the city walls!" It was a good twenty mile retreat, but a retreat Lu Bu knew he had to take in order to overcome the pantheon of Gods. He pulled on Red Hare's reins and they began their flight back to the city.  
  
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Cao Cao entered the medical tent were Sun Jian was standing over Lu Meng's cot. The General's face was bandaged up, though dressings looked like they would need changing soon, because they were quickly becoming saturated with blood...  
  
"If you've come here to gloat Cao Cao," Sun Jian said without looking up, "this is neither the time nor place."  
  
"What need have I for gloating? It has already been acknowledged by everyone involved that I was right. Your attack was a complete failure. I'm not surprised in the least and I hope you are not either."  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
Cao Cao sat down in a chair across from Sun Jian. "I have a plan for conquering Dong Zhuo that includes neither negotiations for combat and I will tell it to you now. Lu Bu must be a lonely creature, having spent his entire existence in an underworld of dead souls. He follows Dong Zhuo blindly, but I'm willing to bet that if we presented him with a reason to live for himself, he would turn on his master."  
  
"And what reason is that Cao Cao?"  
  
"My daughter Diao Chan. The Goddess of Love."  
  
"Diao Chan?" Sun Jian said in shock, standing from his seat. "What does she have to do with anything?"  
  
"I'm afraid that Diao Chan is under the mistaken impression that she is to wed Dong Zhuo in order to end the conflict between the Gods. I told her that if she wed him, he would hand control back to me, her loving father."  
  
Sun Jian lunged at Cao Cao and took hold of his neck, "Stop this at once Cao Cao! If my daughter is harmed, I will have your head!"  
  
"It's too late," Cao Cao said, breaking free of Sun Jian's grip. "She left three days ago. Nothing can stop her now."  
  
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Diao Chan was led deep into Dong Zhuo's Temple by a minister who couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of her. She was the Goddess of Love and was known in legend as the woman so beautiful that it drove men insane. The young minister could see that the legends were in fact true. He couldn't think straight when he was near her and had the strange urge to lead her to his room rather than Dong Zhuo's...  
  
They entered Dong Zhuo's court room which he had converted into a harem. He was sprawled in the center of the room with about thirty beautiful, young concubines. When he saw Diao Chan coming from across the room, he sat up and smiled a terrible emotion to himself. "Leave girls," he instructed the concubines. They left the room, gathering up their clothing before departing.  
  
Diao Chan kneeled before the Lord. "The Goddess of Love," Dong Zhuo said. "The pleasure is all mine I hope." He stood up and walked over the pillow littered floor to stand in front of her. "What are you doing here?" Dong Zhuo licked his lips in anticipation.  
  
"My lord, I have come here to web you for my father's sake." Dong Zhuo wasn't sure about marriage, but he was pretty sure about something else.  
  
"Minister, close the door on the way out of the room," he said. The young minister did as he was told and got a cold chill as he closed the door behind him. Poor young lady, he thought.  
  
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Diao Chan was relaxing by her master's reflecting pool one day when suddenly another reflection joined her own. She looked up and was shocked to see Lu Bu, the Angel of Death standing over her. She knew immediately who he was, though she had never seen him before. He was staring at her now with the most peculiar look upon his face.  
  
"I..." Diao Chan started to say, but she lost voice. She felt completely powerless in his presence, but for some reason.. she liked that.  
  
"You are Diao Chan," Lu Bu said. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm... Here with Dong Zhuo...." She paused and looked deep into his eyes. All her life she had made men fall in love with her, but never once had she understood what that meant until now. "Where are you going?" She asked him.  
  
"I was about to go to the front to check on the defense preparations," Lu Bu answered, himself feeling awkward for the first time ever. He was always so sure of his abilities, but now he felt himself lacking. Why was she here for Dong Zhuo?  
  
"Take me with you," she suddenly said. Lu Bu was shocked that she would ask such a thing.  
  
"I..." Lu Bu started to protest, but instead said, "I would be honored." As they walked together to Red Hare, Diao Chan tried to strike up a conversation about the beautiful garden. Lu Bu had to concede to her that he had never knew such life existed because he had always been a captive in the underworld.  
  
The got on the dragon Red Hare together, Diao Chan afraid at first, but then more at ease after lifting up into the air and holding on to Lu Bu tightly. Both of them felt strangely alive for the first time ever. The Goddess of Love and the Angel of Death. They made a strange pair. One that would change Dong Zhuo's fortunes forever...  
  
To be continued... 


	8. Chapter 8

ROTK - War of the Gods  
  
Chapter 8  
  
"Please, do not go back to him," Lu Bu pleaded with Diao Chan, holding her hand tightly in his. "I won't be able to stand it."  
  
Diao Chan was holding back tears and trying to free her hand. She couldn't bring herself to look at the Angel, the Angel she had fallen in love with. "Please, allow me to go," she said helplessly. "I must be with Dong Zhuo to end the war."  
  
"No, it mustn't be that way. Let us run away together. We can go now... we can leave this planet and never look back."  
  
Diao Chan finally retrieved her hand from Lu Bu's grip. She placed a single knuckle gently against her lips. She was wounded. "For my father, I must go to him." She turned for the Angel of Death and walked slowly back into the Temple. Dong Zhuo was waiting for her.  
  
Lu Bu shut his eyes tightly and tried to calm his mind. He couldn't think, he couldn't sleep, he couldn't do anything but see Dong Zhuo with his love, Diao Chan. "NO!" He cried out, sending a small shockwave reverberating off the garden walls, small cracks developing around the edges.  
  
Lu Bu then punched straight through the wall he was standing closest too. "If Sun Jian wants Dong Zhuo's head, I will give it to him!" He reached down and picked his crescent halberd out of the rubble pile he had just created. Then, he stormed straight into the Temple, heading for Dong Zhuo's chamber.  
  
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"Now walk toward me," Dong Zhuo instructed her. Diao Chan did as she was told, though she hated every moment of it. Her father needed her though and who was she to resist his call? She loved her father far more than she loved Lu Bu... Or was that so true anymore?  
  
"Okay, stop there.... Oh yeah." Diao Chan stood perfectly still and closed her eyes tightly, blocking out Dong Zhuo and blocking out the chamber and blocking out everything but the thought of her one true love, Lu Bu.  
  
Suddenly, the doors to the room burst open. The Goddess spun and covered herself as she did to see who the intruder was. It was Lu Bu and he was holding his weapon! "Get out of the way Chan!" The Angel shouted at her.  
  
She ran to the wall and pulled a cloak that was there around herself. Lu Bu walked swiftly up to the side of the bed and lifted his halberd high into the air. "DIE!" He brought it down as hand as he could, cutting the bed clean in half. Dong Zhuo wasn't there though!  
  
Dong Zhuo appeared out of thin air behind him, his battle armor on and his sword in his hand. "You underestimate me angel! Don't you realize that I was given authority on Earth! I AM YOUR GOD NOW!!" He swung his jagged weapon at Lu Bu, cutting a gash across his chest. Lu Bu recoiled in pain. He had no idea Dong Zhuo was this powerful.  
  
Dong Zhuo teleported behind him and stabbed out with his sword. This time though, Lu Bu was ready. He spun around, bringing his balance point of his weapon up against his chest and spinning the handle completely around and knocking Dong Zhuo in the face.  
  
The fat God crashed into the far wall that Diao Chan was against. She froze, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, he grabbed her and pulled her in front of him like a shield. She was his hostage. "So, you've come to rescue Diao Chan from me? Now I truly understand what she said to me the day she arrived. Cao Cao is playing us all for fools, don't you see that?"  
  
Lu Bu couldn't see anything besides his raging hatred for Dong Zhuo. Suddenly though, he sensed something. It was Diao Chan's power... She was reaching out with her mind and channeling it to him.  
  
In only a fraction of a second, Lu Bu had his halberd up and threw it has hard as he could at Dong Zhuo. It flew through the air faster than a laser and split his head open like a cantaloup. He fell instantly to the floor and vanished, armor and all.  
  
"Welcome to the underworld," Lu Bu whispered.  
  
Diao Chan ran into her lovers arms and kissed her savior. They embraced for several moments and then released each other only hesitantly. Never again would they leave each others side, of that much they were certain. "What do we do now?" Chan asked. Tears were streaming from her eyes, but her radiant beauty was unaffected. Lu Bu didn't know if she was crying from sadness, or joy, or fear, but probably she was crying for all of those reasons.  
  
"Let us leave this place. Think not of your family or of obligations. We only have an eternity together, and still that is not enough. We've already gone an eternity in this universe alone, now it is our time."  
  
Chan knew that he was right. She hugged his again, tighter this time, knowing that everything would be fine now. Then, they went together to Red Hare and rode him high into the night sky and disappeared into the cosmos.  
  
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News of Dong Zhuo's death spread quickly. It wasn't long before word reached the camp in Ru Nan where Sun Jian, Cao Cao, and Liu Bei were. A meeting was called by Sun Jian (of course) and there he said to the assembled Gods: "Clearly, my bravery in battle has proven to you all that I am the one true ruler. Liu Bei and Cao Cao are shadows of Cao Liu Sun. I am leaving this planet to try and find the gate to the spiritual realm and to use my powers to create more hospitable worlds in this solar system, so that I may take my followers away from here. I do not wish to start a war with either of you, for I know your power to be great."  
  
"Three rulers of Heaven and Earth," Cao Cao said, deep in thought. "Though they came from the same God, they may not exist together. Only one may prevail, but which? And how is it decided. The Gods that are gathered here in this tent... Will we be at war with each other one day? It seems possible, because this is a puzzle without a solution. Sun Jian, do you truly propose to find your own planet?"  
  
"It can be done," Sun Jian said back to him. "Do not forget who I am. I created heaven and earth and all of the people that will ever be."  
  
"Well, I suppose we all could claim that," Liu Bei said. Sun Jian was tired of bickering and philosophizing. He stormed from the tent with the God's that supported him, once again leaving Cao Cao and Liu Bei. The only God on Liu Bei's side was Zhao Yun, though he was a good ally to have. The other two were human, Cao Cao knew, who had sworn brotherhood to Liu Bei. The thought of becoming an oath brother with a human was quite repulsive to Cao Cao, but he made sure not to ever say so.  
  
"Liu Bei, come with me," Cao Cao said standing up. "We have much to discuss."  
  
"I'm not so sure about that," Guan Yu said, standing up as well. The two men squared off silently for a few moments before Liu Bei stood up.  
  
"I will go with Cao Cao," he said. "We had our prior differences, but things have changed now. There is nothing to worry about Guan Yu."  
  
Liu Bei and Cao Cao went for a walk outside of the camp. It was a beautiful spring night and all of the stars were visible upon the cloudless sky. "Look at that," Cao Cao said, pointing up at the sky. "It seems so much bigger from down here in the physical realm."  
  
"Hard to believe we created that," Liu Bei said.  
  
Cao Cao wasn't too happy with sharing credit for the task, though he answered anyway, "Indeed." The continued walking in silence when Cao Cao finally stopped them and said, "Let us be quite honest now Liu Bei." Really, he meant : You be honest now Liu Bei while I lie through my teeth. "Sun Jian is off to find a new planet where his followers may live, and I guess it's up to one of us to do that same thing. In that way, all three of us will have our own 'earth' to rule."  
  
"Yes, but who will get the real earth? This is our pride and joy, I know that much."  
  
"Liu Bei, I want you to have it," Cao Cao said suddenly. Liu Bei was shocked that Cao Cao would say such a thing.  
  
"I don't know what to say..." Liu Bei responded.  
  
"Agree to help me drive Lu Bu from the planet that he has fled to."  
  
"What do you mean?" Liu Bei was once again suspecting a ruse.  
  
"Lu Bu has fled to the red planet beyond this one, out past the asteroid belt. That planet is the one which I want. If you help me destroy the Angel of Death, I will consent to you remaining here on Earth to rule."  
  
It seemed reasonable to Liu Bei and he agreed. Then, he went to tell his followers what Cao Cao and he had agreed upon. Cao Cao smiled at his departing shadow, quite certain that Liu Bei would never be coming back to this planet alive. "The fool has no idea," he muttered triumphantly to himself.  
  
To be continued... 


	9. Chapter 9

ROTK - War of the Gods  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Cao Cao's days were not completely wasted on plotting and scheming. He also enjoyed riding and hunting with his children Xu Huang and Xu Shu. They killed many deer and elk, but mostly he liked hunting tigers. It thrilled him more to kill a killer.  
  
On one particular hunting expedition, he came across a young woman bathing in a stream. He told his sons to wait for him. He dismounted and walked in slowly to where the woman was. He read her mind and realized that it would startle her severely if he were to reveal himself in this shape. Instead, he disguised himself by transforming into a swan and going out to her.  
  
She was absolutely delighted to see a swan and Cao Cao was absolutely delighted to see her up close. She had long, beautiful hair and the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen a human have. He swam to her and rubbed his head against her cheek. She laughed and petted him and his feathery white coat.  
  
Then, she swam over to the waters edge and got out. Cao Cao stayed and stared a while, and knew then that he must have her, even if she was human. He came out of the water and transformed back into human form and reached deep into her mind... Relaxing her completely. Then, they laid down together by the base of a tree.  
  
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After that, Cao Cao forgot about the woman and made it so she would not remember the encounter. Several months later, Cao Cao decided that it was time for him to have his very own Angel since he was going to be on Earth and needed a heavenly messenger to assist him in his correspondences with humans.  
  
Taking Xu Huang and Xu Shu with him, Cao Cao went on an expedition to a cemetery. They took up several bodies from the ground and Cao Cao inspected their skulls. Though he couldn't learn everything about a person by looking at their skull and inspecting it closely, he could still find out a lot, like whether they were left brained or right brained, if they were intelligent, if they had any psychotic disorders. Besides that, things such as temperament and loyalty could not be judged.  
  
"This one looks like the winner," Cao Cao said, holding up a skull.  
  
"Who is that?" Xu Shu asked.  
  
"It came from this one here," Xu Huang said, pointing down to one of the graves. "It says his name is Sima Yi." Cao Cao took the man's bones out of their coffin and laid them down on the ground a ways out. Then, he channeled all of the energy of heaven into the bones and reanimated them. Slowly, tendons appeared, and then muscles and organs. He was being recreated from the inside out. Lastly, after his skin had reappeared, his hair grew out.  
  
Cao Cao stepped back, exhausted from the ordeal. The new Angel, Sima Yi, rose from the ground and then positioned himself on his feet. As soon as they hit, he kneeled all the way down. "My lord Cao Cao," he said, "I have been resurrected from death by your mercy and power. I will serve you forever more."  
  
Cao Cao smiled to his Angel and helped him back up to his feet. "Welcome back," he said.  
  
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A week later, Sima Yi had his first messages to deliver. He found out in his many travels across the land that Zhen Ji, the woman Cao Cao had made love to, had been impregnated. He entered the Holy Temple in Luo Yang and went straight to Cao Cao's chamber.  
  
"My lord, there is news..."  
  
"Not now," Cao Cao said. "I'm busy." Sima Yi's master was sitting at a table alone with a chess board in front of him, and concentrating intensely.  
  
"My lord? Who are you playing with?"  
  
Cao Cao looked up at Sima Yi, quite annoyed with the interruption. "I'm playing against myself," he said. "I've managed to split by psyche into two so that I may be both minds playing. It's quite the challenge I assure you. And it takes a large amount of concentration. What do you wish to report?"  
  
"Do you remember Zhen Ji my lord? The woman you encountered in the forest not so long ago."  
  
"I did not know her name, but what about her?"  
  
"She's pregnant. With twin boys."  
  
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Zhen Ji was in her room doing her hair one night when a strange breeze came through her window. She went across the room and closest the panel to keep the wind out, but when she turned around, she saw a man standing in her room.  
  
"Do not be afraid woman," Sima Yi said. "I am an Angel of the Lord and I come bearing good news. You will give birth to twin boys and they will be sons of that heavenly father. They are to be named Cao Ren and Cao Hong. Raise them well Zhen Ji, for one day they will inherit the kingdom of heaven." Then, he vanished.  
  
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It wasn't entirely the truth, but Sima Yi felt quite certain that he had done the job for his lord adequately. The children, in fact, would never inherit anything - they would only be Demigods. They would also be born full grown, but details such as these would probably upset an expecting mother.  
  
A week after that, Sima Yi proposed a new plan to his lord on how to gain more powerful allies (besides impregnating strange women). Cao Cao thought that the idea was good and together they went to the mountains of Han Zhong where the Titans had once been buried. Sima Yi believed that not all of the Titans had been released when Zhang Jiao cast his spell because Dong Zhuo had defeated them so easily. His hope was to find one and transform it...  
  
Cao Cao grew to several times his normal height and moved the mountains with his hands to hopefully find a Titan who was still buried and chained up. Indeed, just as Sima Yi had predicted, they came across a still buried Titan, named Xiahou. Cao Cao knew that they would never be able to tame one of the beasts, but he believed that if they cut one just right, they could split it's psyche AND body into two. One mind could not control the untamable rage of a Titan, but two minds might be able to.  
  
Cao Cao lifted his sword high into air and brought into down on the creature, cutting it into halves. For a moment, it was just a bloody mess, but then the sides began to regenerate. Each side took a human shape. "Xiahou Yuan and Xiahou Dun," Cao Cao said triumphantly, shrinking down to their size. Sima Yi had also come down from where he had been hiding.  
  
"My lord," he said smiling. "I believe you just created the Gods of the Sun and Moon."  
  
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Sun Jian had left earth right after the defeat of Dong Zhuo and began looking for the gate to the spiritual world. He had no idea where it could be though because Zhang Jiao's spell had altered it's location and even it's appearance. In his journey though, he came across a planet just like he had hoped.  
  
This one was closer to the sun, but Sun Jian thought he could make it hospitable for his followers. This planet was called Venus. One day, a new kingdom would flourish there, but first he needed to send word to his children on Earth. He summoned his Angel, Zhou Yu, and said to him : "Go back to Earth and gather my children. The chosen planet has been found. By the time they arrive, all poisonous gases should be removed and we can begin the task of making water."  
  
Zhou Yu then went back to Earth to tell those faithful to Sun Jian that a new land had been discovered. Lu Meng and Huang Gai set out immediately, but Shang Xiang, the Goddess of War, was unsure of who to follow, Liu Bei or Sun Jian. She respected both men equally and believed them both to be her father. She also felt deep down that her decision would affect more people than just herself.  
  
Finally she turned to Zhou Yu and said to him, "Tell my father that I will be there soon, but first I must say good-bye to someone." Her choice had been made, and soon everyone in the universe would suffer because of it.  
  
To be continued... 


	10. Chapter 10

ROTK - War of the Gods  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Liu Bei stands upon Cao Cao's flag ship as they sail away from Earth. They lead a fleet of about one thousand battle ships, hastily constructed in the lakes of China and then taken into space by the power of the Gods. The humans crews are protected by energy shields that the Gods have erected around the ships. They have also restored gravity to the ships with their power so that none of the humans float away into the void of space. One of two get lost in the process, but not enough to bother Cao Cao.  
  
Together, they head for Hu Lao Gate, the nickname for the asteroid belt that separates Mars from Earth. It was the planets permanent line of defense. Cao Cao was expected to lose hundreds of ships in it's crossing, and that's why he had demanded the construction of so many. They were on a quest to take possession of the red planet from Lu Bu, who had escaped there with Diao Chan after murdering Dong Zhuo.  
  
Liu Bei stared out into the star filled void that passed around them in their slow journey. A God could teleport their instantaneously, but Cao Cao insisted on the enchanted space fleet. They would need all the help they could get against Lu Bu and the dragon Red Hare.  
  
Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei's Angel, appeared beside him. "I bring news from Venus my lord."  
  
"What is it?" Liu Bei asked, not really wanting to know. If Shang Xiang was involved, it would only cause him heart ache...  
  
"She has married Sun Jian and taken on the name Sun Shang Xiang. She has given birth to two boys, Sun Ce and Sun Quan. Each possesses the fierceness of the father."  
  
Liu Bei closed his eyes and tried to forget about the woman he once thought he loved. She had chosen Sun Jian over him, and nothing was ever going to change that fact. "Is that all?" He asked his Angel with some difficulty.  
  
"Venus has been completely transformed my lord," Zhuge Liang said. "Where once there was nothing but poisonous gas, Sun Jian has created a jungle planet of sorts. There are no Oceans or Seas, but the air is filled with water to such a capacity that it's constantly foggy. The only things that can grow there are mosses and certain types of trees that do not require much sunlight." Zhuge Liang could tell that his master wanted to be alone, but he had one last thing to report. "Humans who worship him have begun migrating to Venus with his help. He is calling his planet True Earth."  
  
Liu Bei shook his head. "None of this matters. Not anymore. Please Zhuge Liang, do not bring me word of the Suns anymore. They are dead to me."  
  
"Understood sir," the Angel said, and disappeared. Suddenly, an alarm was sounded and Cao Cao ran out onto the command deck where Liu Bei was standing.  
  
"Do you see him yet?" Cao Cao said, grabbing hold of the railing next to Liu Bei.  
  
They peered out at the approaching river of rock that flowed endlessly through space. It looked like a line upon the horizon, but with their perfect vision, they spotted Lu Bu. He was on the back of Red Hare and Diao Chan was with him. Red Hare was perched atop one of the larger asteroids, peering back at the two men...  
  
The archers needed only one warning. The decks of all one thousand were now crowded full of archers and they trained their enchanted weapons at the enemy perched atop Hu Lao Gate. Closer and closer they crept. Soon, the tiny line on the horizon had become a huge sea of floating rocks right before them. Red Hare swooped down and Lu Bu began yelling at Cao Cao.  
  
"You swine! How dare you come here! Diao Chan knows of your treachery. How can you look at her in the face and call her your daughter? You are nothing! You are less than nothing! I will kill you as I kill so many flies!"  
  
Red Hare flipped into a frenzy, lashing out at the wooden fleet in front of him. It tried to spray fire at them as well, but there was no oxygen in space to fuel the flame. "Ah ha!" Cao Cao exclaimed when he saw that the creature could not attack them with fire. "Just as I suspected. Fire now archers!"  
  
The archers, numbered in the thousands, unleashed a barrage of arrows at the red dragon and it's riders. The enchantment of their bows made the arrows fire like lasers at the creature, striking it on every side. The animal flew through the fleet, smashing ships as it passed. It was getting shot more and more though and soon it began floating lifelessly through space. It's Angel rider leaped from the animal and floated out into space before Cao Cao and Liu Bei.  
  
"You may have killed my dragon, Cao Cao, but you will not kill me." Lu Bu grew to five times his normal height and loomed before the fleet ominously.  
  
"You fool," Cao Cao said. "You've given us more to hit." He launched off the ship and floated out to where Lu Bu was, growing to equal the other man in size. Liu Bei followed him out and both men drew their swords as they went out to Lu Bu. The Angel was the first to strike.  
  
Lu Bu came at them, swinging his halberd in giant circles on each side of him. He was heading for Cao Cao! Liu Bei took the chance to get behind Lu Bu and attack him there. Lu Bu was quicker though and blocked Liu Bei's blade and the same time he blocked an attack by Cao Cao with the handle of his weapon.  
  
The three men fought close to fifty bouts when suddenly Xu Shu came out to help Cao Cao and Zhang Fei and Guan Yu came out to help their lord. Now, the Angel of Death was fighting 3 Gods and 2 enchanted humans - but he knew he couldn't keep it up much longer. He reached out with his mind and touched Diao Chan. He said to her, "Give me your power now."  
  
She reached out and touched him back and Lu Bu suddenly went berserk and became completely invincible for a few seconds and swung his weapon about violently, knocking both Zhang Fei and Xu Shu back. "Now!" Cao Cao shouted.  
  
At the same moment, Guan Yu's sword swung toward Lu Bu's head as Liu Bei's swung toward his stomach and Cao Cao's swung toward his legs. Unable to block them all, the Angel of Death decided to block none of them. Liu Bei's attack sliced him in his ribs. Cao Cao's attack chopped off one of his legs. Guan Yu's attack loped off the side of the Angels head.  
  
Lu Bu's body shrank down to normal size, but the blood that had been spilled remained large, floating in space about the three gods likes crimson spheres. Diao Chan screamed in horror and rushed down to her fallen lover. "Curse you Cao Cao," she said, weeping like a mother would for a lost child. "You've killed him."  
  
She reached into the Angel's mind with hers but suddenly realized something... He was still alive! Barely though. Diao Chan closed her eyes and focused all her power on sustaining any life that may be there. Cao Cao was reaching down to take the body from her, but she somehow managed to teleport them away. She had taken them to one of two moons that orbited the red planet. The moon she took him to was called Daimos.  
  
There, she sat upon the surface of that cold and windless moon, The Goddess of Love holding on to the only love she had ever known. She could keep him alive like this forever, the Angel of Death suspended between life and death for an eternity. And so she did. They remained on that moon forever, neither one really alive, but neither one really dead. Suspended in a moment of time forever...  
  
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Cao Cao turned to his two Demigod children, Cao Hong and Cao Ren, and said to them, "Now that Lu Bu's threat has been eliminated, we will deal with Liu Bei." Cao Cao had made it abundantly clear that Liu Bei was not to return to Earth, and now his plan was set. "I will tell Liu Bei to go into the flagship with his supporters and await our arrival at Daimos. I will tell him that we are going there to finish off Lu Bu. In order to pass through Hu Lao Gate though, I will need to use all of my powers to hold back the river of rock. Make sure that none of my supporters besides the humans are on those ships when they cross."  
  
His children agreed and Cao Cao went and told his plan to Liu Bei. The other God agreed that he would stay in the holding area of the flagship until they had reached the other side. Then, Cao Cao went out to the asteroid belt and held up his hand. Calling forth the power of Heaven, he held back the rock field. It took every ounce of power he had though.  
  
"Now," he shouted. The fleet began making it's way through the opening in the Gate which Cao Cao had produced. Cao Cao could feel himself losing control of the tidal wave of space boulders that threatened to pour forth. "Just a little further," Cao Cao told himself through the strain.  
  
Finally, when the entire fleet was in the middle of the pass, Cao Cao released his hold on the river and the asteroids rushed forth and decimated the fleet, pulverizing it into a mess of shattered wood and mangled bodies. Cao Cao raised his fist up triumphantly. Liu Bei had been destroyed!  
  
To be continued... 


	11. Chapter 11

ROTK - War of the Gods  
  
Chapter 11  
  
After Lu Bu's defeat, Liu Bei's Angel, Zhuge Liang, appeared to him and said, "You must be cautious now my lord. Though Cao Cao's intentions appear noble, I suspected a ruse on account of his lack of integrity. Indeed, the only reason we are here now is because Cao Cao has arranged it. When he comes to you next, you must recount everything he has said to me so that I may think of a way to counter his evil machinations."  
  
Liu Bei agreed and then went to Cao Cao's flagship to await his arrival. As Zhuge Liang predicted, Cao Cao came to him and said, "Liu Bei, we have triumphed over death yet again. I could not have done this without you."  
  
"I am but a servant of your goodwill," Liu Bei said back to him. "I would have nothing if it were not for your kindness and that is why I have repaid my debt in full."  
  
"Well..." Cao Cao said hesitantly. "The battle may be won, but the war has just begun."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Though Lu Bu has been wounded, he is still very much alive. Diao Chan has taken him to the far moon of the red planet called Daimos. If I am to take possession of Mars, I will need help yet again to ensure his absolute defeat. Will you risk your life yet again for me?"  
  
"Cao Cao, I will again risk my life in order to repay your undying kindness. What do you need of me?"  
  
Cao Cao responded, "Before we can reach him, we will need to get the fleet past Hu Lau Gate. It will be impossible to traverse it while it continues to flow. I will hold back the torrent of rock so that the fleet may pass. I will need you to stay in the hold of my flagship and help keep the energy shields that protect the ships in place. Will you do this?"  
  
"I will," Liu Bei said. Cao Cao left him and Liu Bei instantly summoned his Angel and recounted what Cao Cao had said to him.  
  
"The fool has dug his own grave," Zhuge Liang said. "This is what you are to do. When Cao Cao uses his power to hold back the asteroids, you and those with you are to teleport back to Earth as quickly as possible."  
  
"What is Cao Cao planning?" Liu Bei asked.  
  
"He wishes to destroy you along with his entire fleet. He cares nothing for humans and assumes their sacrifice is justified by the death of one of his two major rivals. When he destroys his own people though, you will be far away from here. He wishes, no doubt, to control both Earth and the red planet, but we will ensure he gets only one... The planet he agreed to take before this expedition started. I will be on Earth, awaiting your arrival. Good luck."  
  
Then the Angel vanished and left Liu Bei to fulfill his plan.  
  
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Cao Cao was most excited after the fleet had been obliterated. He ordered his sons to sift through the rubble and find the bodies of the Gods he had just murdered. To their amazement though, they found only the bodies of the million archers. Liu Bei and his people were no where to be found.  
  
Cao Cao's mood changed dramatically. He began shouting at his sons for letting them escape. Suddenly, his Angel Sima Yi appeared beside him and reported : "Liu Bei along with the Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei, and Guan Yu, are back on earth now. They teleported away before the ambush."  
  
Cao Cao realized that he had been outsmarted by Liu Bei, though it seemed impossible. He was the embodiment of Cao Liu Sun's wisdom. "Who was behind this plan?" He asked his Angel bitterly.  
  
"It was Liu Bei's Angel my lord. His name is Zhuge Liang, and in his time as a human, he was reported to be a God among men. Cao Cao ground his teeth together and cursed his enemy. "Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang... I will have my revenge on you two if it is the last thing I do."  
  
Cao Cao realized that with Liu Bei on earth with the support of the human race, he would be unable to go back and battle him sufficiently. His best course was to settle on the red planet like Sun Jian had done with Venus and make it hospitable for life. He would need the prayers and worship of humans in order to gain the strength necessary to wage the coming war.  
  
His fleet destroyed, Cao Cao went with his sons to Mars to see the place that he had conquered from the Angel of Death. It was a desolate world, completely devoid of any life. There was nothing but sand and rock as far as the eye can see. "We have found a new underworld," his General Xu Huang said when he saw the place.  
  
Together, they all began to slow process of bringing water back to the barren planet.  
  
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When Liu Bei returned to Earth, he found it almost deserted. Most of the human race had migrated to Sun Jian's New Earth. With two of the Gods away on a military expedition, the people must have been starving for a God to worship and found that God in Sun Jian. There were still a few people left behind and they quickly began erecting temples to Liu Bei, the kindest, most benevolent God they had ever known.  
  
A year later, Liu Bei received an ominous message from his Zhuge Liang. "My lord," the Angel said. "Cao Cao's transformation of the red planet is complete. Where once there was nothing by rock and sand, lakes and vegetation have sprung up. Knowing that he could not import human immigrants from Earth because of it's severely lowered population, he had begun breathing life into the Martian sand."  
  
Liu Bei was shocked. The first people ever had been created by Cao Liu Sun by breathing life into the sand of earth. He only created a few though, and it was from those few individuals that the race evolved. "How many has he created?" Liu Bei asked, too horrified to imagine what Cao Cao was capable of.  
  
"My Lord," Zhuge Liang said, bowing his head. "They are too many to count, but I suspect that they number in the billions."  
  
"Impossible," Liu Bei said, standing from his chair. "We must do something quickly. With the support of so many humans, Cao Cao will be invincible. We must stop him now before he has a chance to create anymore!"  
  
"It will be impossible to do alone with the numbers that we have," Zhuge Liang replied. "I believe Sun Jian may be our only hope."  
  
"Ally with Sun Jian?" Liu Bei asked in horror. "Never!"  
  
"Though you have a quarrel with Sun Jian of the most personal nature, I must insist again that without his help, we have no hope for survival against Cao Cao. He is intelligent, but even more dangerous than that - he is ruthless. He will not stop until he alone rules Heaven and Earth."  
  
Thoughts of Shang Xiang, the beautiful Goddess of War flood through Liu Bei's mind yet again. He had sworn to himself that Sun Jian would die by his hand, but could he really allow his personal affections to damage the fate of so many humans? At last he consented, saying thusly : "You have full authority to work on an alliance with Sun Jian, but I warn you now, it will not be easy. On his planet close to the sun, Cao Cao poses no immediate threat to him."  
  
"I have a plan, my lord, that should work. I will use my knowledge of both men against them." And then the Angel left to go see the Sun Jian and deliver his proposition.  
  
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Life on New Earth was thriving. Sun Jian had created a society based around universal respect for all living creatures and blessed the planet daily. Natural disasters, once so common on Earth, were now a thing of legend on New Earth. Children could grow up with the full knowledge that they would live in peace and prosperity on the foggy planet.  
  
In his Temple in New Jiang Dong, Sun Jian was relaxing with his two children Sun Ce and Sun Quan and his wife Sun Shang Xiang. Affairs off planet did not concern them, and Sun Jian was happy to leave it at that, until the day Zhuge Liang arrived.  
  
"I have coming bearing a message from my master," Zhuge Liang said to the Tiger of Jiang Dong.  
  
"I will tell you now Angel," Sun Jian said back to him. "If you've come bearing a proposition for peace or alliance, the answer will be no, regardless of your presentation." Zhuge Liang knew then that it would take all of his brilliance to change the God's mind.  
  
To be continued... 


	12. Chapter 12

ROTK - War of the Gods  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Zhuge Liang presented his proposal for an alliance in this way : "Sun Jian, you are known throughout the universe as the embodiment of brilliance and compassion, but even more than that, you are revered for your courage. Cao Cao now stands poised to eliminate Liu Bei first and you second. He has populated Mars with a host of fake humans so that his power now rivals even yours. He breathes life into the sand with no thought of the welfare of those he creates. His evil deeds are known throughout the universe, and yet somehow you remain oblivious to them all."  
  
Sun Jian was shocked at the news that Cao Cao was breathing life into the sands of Mars. The other God's sinful nature knew no bounds, but Sun Jian tried to remain unmoved by the prospect of Cao Cao's sinister intentions. He had an obligation to his people to shield them from war.  
  
Zhuge Liang continued : "Your ignorance of Cao Cao's actions is justifiable, and your lack of compassion for Liu Bei is even more so. I come to you now proposing a joint attack on Cao Cao's forces so as to eliminate his threat. I understand that this alliance will be no romance of kingdoms and that each of us is out to satisfy our own ends."  
  
Sun Jian studied the Angel carefully. He had put forth a good argument and all of Sun Jian's better senses told him it was the right thing to do. "And you have a plan for defeating Cao Cao?"  
  
"I do," Zhuge Liang replied.  
  
Sun Jian was again quiet for a time and then finally said to the Angel. "My servant will take you to a waiting room. There you are to remain until called for. I will present my answer at that time." Zhuge Liang bowed to the God and then followed a young servant out of the room.  
  
Immediately, Sun Jian summoned his own Angel, Zhou Yu and told him everything that Zhuge Liang had said. Zhou Yu thought about the proposal carefully. "This Zhuge Liang is a wise Angel indeed. He saw through Cao Cao's scheme at Hu Lao Gate and I have no doubt that he has a plan that would devastate Cao Cao's zombie army of humans."  
  
"Do you believe his intentions to be true?"  
  
"Only because he has nothing to gain except the assurance of a continued existence," Zhou Yu said back. "No, I'm sure he cares only about the elimination of Cao Cao, but it would be best to put me in charge of any attack he proposes. In that way, I will be able to keep my eye on him to make sure he develops no ideas of double crossing us."  
  
Sun Jian agreed and called for his servant to bring Zhuge Liang back into the room. Zhou Yu suddenly said, "I have another idea. Let us hear the Angel's plan. If it is good, we will use it ourselves without involving Liu Bei. Then, we will owe him nothing. In fact, he will owe us for saving his life. I suspect the handover of the Earth's moon would be adequate collateral for our help."  
  
Sun Jian smiled at his Angel. "Though Liu Bei has Zhuge Liang," he said, "I have Zhou Yu."  
  
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In the small waiting room, Zhuge Liang waited patiently in physical form for the human who escorted him to return. He could easily go and eavesdrop on Sun Jian, but there was a chance that he would be detected by the God's own Angel.  
  
The door to the room opened and Zhuge Liang stood up, expecting the visitor to be the same human servant who had taken him to the room. He was shocked to see that it was Sun Shang Xiang, the beautiful Goddess of War. "My lady," Zhuge Liang said, lowering his head respectfully. "What an honor this is to be visited by you. I hope you have been well since we last met."  
  
"Zhuge Liang," she said hesitantly as she walked into the room. She was fidgeting with her hands nervously and the Angel realized that she probably should not be there. "I come to you at great risk," she said.  
  
"My lady?"  
  
She went up to the Angel and put her arms around him, hugging him tightly, afraid to let go. "Oh Liang," she said, tears coming to her eyes. "I fear I've made the most terrible mistake. My heart aches for Liu Bei, but I know I cannot go back to him. I am married to Sun Jian now and have even given him two sons. My honor has been marred and I fear there is no way to correct this fortune I have created."  
  
Zhuge Liang did not know what to say to the Goddess. Her heart was broken and no words of his would diminish her pain. Instead, he simply held her, tears coming to his own eyes. Even if he could tell his Lord what she had said, it would only cause everyone more heartache.  
  
Suddenly, the door to the room opened, but the Goddess vanished into thin air, leaving Zhuge Liang standing in the middle of the room alone. The servant came in and saw him standing there with tears in his eyes. "My master is ready," the young boy said. Zhuge Liang followed him back into Sun Jian's throne room, trying hard to forget what Shang Xiang had said to him.  
  
Standing on the God's right side was a young man dressed in a beautiful red gown. He had long brown hair and a soft complexion. This was, Zhuge Liang knew, no ordinary man. Sun Jian stood from his chair and said to the approaching Angel : "You have spoken well Angel, and you will be rewarded for your abilities. I consent to a joint attack on Cao Cao, but only if the plan you suggest is worthy of our involvement."  
  
Zhuge Liang walked up the platform upon which Sun Jian's throne rested and stopped. Surely the only reason they wished to know the plan now was so they could take it for themselves and use it. The Angel watched the strange man beside Sun Jian carefully, expecting that it was he who had thought of the scheme.  
  
"The plan is quite simple," Zhuge Liang said, "but it will require many small preparations that may easily be foiled. If any one thing goes wrong, it could spell disaster for the entire operation. The man you send must be of the highest intelligence and possess the most ruthless cunning. Do you have anyone who fits this description."  
  
"He stands before you," Zhou Yu said, coming forward. He had been concealing his identity until that very moment, but Zhuge Liang suddenly realized that the man was actually Sun Jian's Angel, Zhou Yu. So, Zhuge Liang thought. Two Angels against the fiercesome might of Cao Cao's army. "Tell us what you propose Zhuge Liang, for it is only with prior knowledge that my Lord will consent."  
  
Zhuge Liang knew that if he did not make himself indispensable, Sun Jian and Zhou Yu would steal his plan and use it without his help. The Angel quickly altered his plan and laid it out like this : "I have detected a black hole called Chi Bi below this solar system. It has gone undetected until this moment because no light is reflected by the massive dead star. My plan is to construct a fleet similar to the one Cao Cao constructed for the attack at Hu Lao Gate and place it there above Chi Bi's event horizon.  
  
"Cao Cao, fearful of a military buildup there, will surely bring his own fleet, one much larger than our own. I propose a fire attack on his fleet so that he and his fleet may be sucked below the black hole's event horizon and swallowed alive."  
  
"Impossible," Zhou Yu said. "A fire attack in space? Do you not remember what happened to Red Hare at Hu Lao Gate? The creature could not produce fire in the oxygen-less atmosphere. Even if you could set one of his ships on fire, what will cause the flame to spread? Each ship, having it's own energy shield, will cut off the destruction of one from the destruction of another."  
  
Sun Jian was about to say something too, but Zhuge Liang cut him off, saying "As I said before, many preparations are necessary. I have only outlined my plan. There are many more specific details that can only be addressed later. This is all I can say now of my plan. Will you help us or not?"  
  
Sun Jian and Zhou Yu stared at the Angel bitterly. He had successfully defended his plan by only revealing enough to win support. They alone could not go through with the attack, for they would need Zhuge Liang's wisdom right up until that fateful moment when the fire attack had begun. Zhou Yu promised himself then and there that he would kill the Angel Zhuge Liang at Chi Bi.  
  
Sun Jian said, "You have presented your plan well Angel and now I will consent to it. I will order the construction of five hundred vessels to be enchanted and taken to Chi Bi. Zhou Yu will lead the attack and you will accompany him. Is this sufficient?"  
  
"Your generosity is more than sufficient," Zhuge Liang said, bowing to Sun Jian, but never taking his eyes off of Zhou Yu. "I look forward to working closely with your Angel." The hatred in Zhou Yu's eyes was unmistakable, but Zhuge Liang feared nothing. Sun Jian's Angel was but a boy, he thought. The only thing that did worry him though, was the fact that he had no idea how he would make a successful fire attack. He had made up the entire plan right on the spot without any consideration for making it work.  
  
The die had been cast though, and the success or failure of the Battle of Chi Bi rested squarely on his shoulders.  
  
To be continued... 


	13. Chapter 13

ROTK - War of the Gods  
  
Chapter 13  
  
Liu Bei began to worry about his Angel ever since he arrived back from New Earth. Something heavy was pressing his mind, though he would confide in no one. Eventually, Liu Bei decided that he HAD to find out what trouble Zhuge Liang. He summoned him in his throne room and said to him, "For many weeks you have been reclusive and have spoken barely a word. I know that Sun Jian is currently constructing the fleet so that your plan may reach fruition, and that is why I do not understand the mood you have brought back with you."  
  
"My lord," Zhuge Liang said with difficulty, "I wish that I could tell you the nature of my depression, but an Angel must know when best to serve his Lord and when best to allow the nature of the universe to lead itself. Something happened while I was on New Earth, something that has hinted at troubles in the future much too great for even me to handle."  
  
The Angel was silent for a while, feeling that he had already said to much. "Please my lord, allow me to leave your service for a time so that I may go off by myself and clear my thoughts for the coming campaign."  
  
Liu Bei, being the kind ruler that he was, consented to Zhuge Liang's request and allowed him to go. "If ever there is an emergency though," Zhuge Liang said, "To not be ashamed to call for me once again." With that, the Angel vanished from Liu Bei's presence. A deep sadness washed over the God when this happened. He didn't know when he would see his friend again...  
  
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Zhuge Liang traveled across the Earth in spirit form, traveling faster than light itself. Sun Shang Xiang's words reverberated through his head. He could not escape the deep sense that the Goddess would cause something terrible to befall Liu Bei and Sun Jian's two kingdoms.  
  
As he was passing over a certain village in Mianzhu, he suddenly spotted the house he once lived in when he was human. On a hunch, he went down to the earth and walked through the province in his physical form, wondering if any of his old friends were still alive. The first house he came to was the house of his best friend Pang Tong. Zhuge Liang was pretty sure that the man had not lived through the terrible time when Zhang Jiao unleashed the Titans upon the Earth.  
  
Zhuge Liang went to the house and passed through the walls. The place looked exactly like it had the last time Zhuge Liang had been there. He turned and looked at the small fire place that had once kept him and his friend warm through so many winters. Was it his imagination, or was there still warmth coming from the fireplace?  
  
Zhuge Liang went over and kneeled down next to the hearth and realized that, indeed, there were actually red coals buried beneath so much soot. Someone was living in the house! The Angel went into the bedroom and saw that someone was sleeping in Pang Tong's bed.  
  
Infuriated, the Angel cried out as loud as he could, "Awaken human! I am the Angel of the Lord and I have come to pass judgment on you!" His cry was so loud that it shattered the windows of the small room.  
  
Pang Tong sat up in his bed, eyes wide open in fear. "My God," he cried out when he saw Zhuge Liang. "It's a ghost!"  
  
Zhuge Liang was just as shocked to see his friend alive. There was no way he could have survived the Titan ambush. They had originated in Han Zhong! Was he himself seeing a ghost? Both men just stared at each other for a while, neither one knowing what to say. But then, both of them smiled at the same time and Pang Tong rushed to Zhuge Liang's side and embraced him.  
  
"It's a miracle," Pang Tong said as he wept with joy. "I thought I would not see you again until I myself had gone to the underworld, and yet you live! I'm so afraid that any moment I shall wake from this dream! Do not leave me Zhuge Liang. Not again!"  
  
The two sat down together by the fire place after they had regained their composure some. Zhuge Liang recounted his experience of dying and going to the underworld, but then being resurrected by the God, Liu Bei to serve as his Angel. Pang Tong also recounted his experience of tricking the Titan that had come to his house to eat him.  
  
Apparently, after Zhang Jiao released the Titans from their mountain prisons in Han Zhong, Pang Tong became aware that one of the creatures was lurking around the mountain upon which his house was built. The creature came day after day, scooping out the small house, but never coming very close. Pang Tong realized that it was only a child. It thought that it was spying on Pang Tong, though the human could clearly see the huge giant each time he came.  
  
One day, the creature did not arrive like it usually did and Pang Tong knew that meant trouble. Without wasting any time, he went out and butchered one of his cows and put the dead animal in his bed, covering it up completely so that one could not make out the beds contents.  
  
Then, he ran outside to where his scarecrow was posted and took it down. Though he had no crops, he used the scarecrow to keep the birds from landing on his roof and defecating like they so often liked to do. Tong then covered himself in cow manure and dressed in the scarecrows clothing. He jumped up on the post to make it look like he himself was the scarecrow and then waited there all day.  
  
Sure enough, at sunset of that day, the Titan returned, with about three of his Titan friends. They ripped the roof off the house and picked up Pang Tong's bed and all began fighting over the bloody mess that fell out of the sheet. They ate the cow, thinking that it was Pang Tong. Then, one of them spotted Pang Tong posted up outside the house and leaned down and sniffed him. The disgusting odor of cow manure quickly drove him away and the three of them went back down the mountain, never to return again.  
  
Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong continued recounting stories late into the night, drinking wine and catching up on all that had happened since Zhuge Liang's 'death.'  
  
As the sun was coming up the next morning, Zhuge Liang was just starting to tell Pang Tong about his troubles. He told his human friend about the deal he had made with Sun Jian and also about Sun Shang Xiang's secret confession to him.  
  
"Well," Pang Tong said. "I certainly won't be able to give you any advice about dealing with women, but I think I may have an idea about how to make the fire attack against Cao Cao work. Come outside with me." Pang Tong led his friend outside after grabbing something from his work desk. Outside of the front door, Pang Tong reached over and grabbed a bow and arrow that was leaning against the door. "Watch carefully now," he said to Zhuge Liang.  
  
The Angel realized that the Tong had grabbed some sort of arrow from his desk. Upon the tip though, there was a small packet of some sort tied, rather than a conventional arrow head. Pang Tong pulled the bow back and aimed at the scarecrow that once again hung about twenty yards away.  
  
He released the string and the arrow flew threw through the air and struck the scarecrow square in it's chest. Immediately, the thing bust into flames. "Spontaneous combustion!" Zhuge Liang exclaimed.  
  
"Not exactly," Pang Tong said. He led Zhuge Liang back into his house and showed him how it worked. Inside the packet, there were actually three different types of chemicals, all separated by cloth. When the arrow struck it's target, the cloth dividing the three chemicals was ripped and they all combined. The first two chemicals, when combined, created a spark. The third chemical was a fuel that was ignited by that spark. "Not spontaneous combustion," Pang Tong said at last. "Chemistry."  
  
Zhuge Liang stepped away from the work desk and thought deeply. "Well, that will deliver fire from our ships to theirs through the vacuum of space, but still that does not solve the other problem. How can we make the fire spread from ship to ship? There is no wind in space, and Cao Cao will have individual energy shields for each ship.  
  
"I have another idea," Pang Tong said. "This one is a little more risky though."  
  
-----------------------------------------------  
  
Liu Bei wasn't so sure of the idea, but Zhuge Liang told him it was the only way the plan would work. At last he consented and Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong were sent to Zhou Yu's fleet which was in orbit over Earth.  
  
The fleet consisted of five hundred wooden warships and 20,000 archers. Not that many archers were not needed to transport the packets of chemicals to the enemy ships, though. Pang Tong had only brought with him about twenty of the specially made arrows, the only ones that would be effective in the fire attack.  
  
Zhuge Liang had thought that they would be leaving right after he got aboard, but Zhou Yu had requested to see him on his flagship before they left Earth's orbit. Zhuge Liang went alone and found the Angel Zhou Yu surrounded by a pantheon of Sun Jian's Gods. Around him stood Huang Gai, Lu Meng, Zhou Tai, and the sons Sun Ce and Sun Quan.  
  
Zhou Yu said to him, "Because you have previously acknowledged that this alliance is one of convenience and that we are both looking out only for ourselves, I feel free to say this. Cao Cao is the threat YOU face. You have dragged Sun Jian into this and for that, we demand retribution. Because we are helping you now, Sun Jian declares that after this battle, the Earth's moon is to be handed over us."  
  
To be continued... 


	14. Chapter 14

ROTK - War of the Gods  
  
Chapter 14  
  
Zhuge Liang stood in shock at the lineup of super powered beings. Sun Jian wasn't just asking for the Earth's moon, he was demanding it! Could Zhuge Liang truly consent to something like that without his Lord's approval?  
  
The six men stared down at Zhuge Liang. He had a slight suspicion that they were altering their size slightly to appear bigger. Were they threatening him? Finally, the Angel said to them, "Liu Bei would be honored to hand over the moon for the kindness that your Lord has shown. Without his help it is certain that Liu Bei would be destroyed. Mind you, though, that Sun Jian would be the next to fall to Cao Cao's might."  
  
Zhou Yu glared at him angrily. "Sun Jian will never fall to Cao Cao," he said through clenched teeth. Zhuge Liang smiled at him.  
  
"We have a long journey ahead of us," Zhuge Liang said. "Let us not keep destiny waiting."  
  
---------------------------------------------------  
  
Cao Cao was in the middle of a planning session for the invasion of Earth when an urgent message arrived. "Sun Jian has amassed a fleet of 500 ships my lord," Sima Yi said. "I suspect he is trying to conceal his intention to attack you by keeping them out in the void, far below this solar system. I came across them only by chance in my wanderings."  
  
Cao Cao stood up from his table and turned from the people seated there. They were the Gods Xu Shu, Xu Huang, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Xiahou Dun, and Xiahou Yuan. Cao Cao placed his hands behind his back and said thoughtfully, "This is even better than I had hoped. If he is storing ships out in space, they must certainly be unguarded. If we crush Sun Jian's fleet there, he will be unable to come to Liu Bei's aid when we attack."  
  
"There is more sir," Sima Yi said. "The fleet is perched directly above the event horizon of a massive black hole. I was unaware of it's existence until I saw the way that star light bent around it's black mouth. I fear it may be some sort of trap."  
  
"What is the name of this black hole?" Cao Cao asked.  
  
"It is called Chi Bi my lord." Cao Cao thought deeply about the name and it's meaning, but could learn nothing from it.  
  
He turned around and said to his assembled Generals. "If this is a ruse on Sun Jian's part, I have absolute faith that we will see through it. We have 5000 warships available now that we were going to use for the invasion of Earth alone, and I say we go to this small fleet perched above Chi Bi and destroy it on our way."  
  
His generals agreed and an army was assembled consisting of 500,000 archers and 500,000 infantry. Less than a week later, the fleet was moved into space and began it's long journey to Chi Bi. When they arrived, Cao Cao set the fleet across from Sun Jian's on Chi Bi and went out and began railing against him.  
  
"Sun Jian, you impostor! How dare you bring your fleet here to plan an invasion of my kingdom! I will destroy your puny fleet and cast your entire family into this black hole!"  
  
Zhou Yu came out from his flagship with his Generals and began shouting back. "Cease your blasphemy dog! How dare you come here calling yourself the true ruler of Heaven and Earth. We are here on a training exercise only, but since you are here now and have defiled the Lord's name, we will gladly punish you for it!" Zhou Yu then went out into the space between the two massive fleets.  
  
"Who will bring me this Angel's head?" Cao Cao asked his assembled officers.  
  
"I will take his head father," Xiahou Yuan said. He went out and began combat with the Angel Zhou Yu, but neither of them could gain the advantage. After thirty bouts, Xiahou Yuan ran back to his own side.  
  
"Fall on now!" Zhou Yu yelled out. His fleet came forward, firing enchanted arrows at the enemy fleet and Gods. Though they were horribly outnumbered, their superior tactics kept the enemy ships at bay and forced Cao Cao to pull his fleet back in a full retreat. He went back across Chi Bi and rearranged his force there.  
  
Sima Yi approached his Lord after the battle and said to him, "Master, why have you stopped in your attack? Even though their tactics are superior, we have numbers on our side. As long as we press the attack, regardless of our fortunes, we will win the day."  
  
"No," Cao Cao said. "This fleet is needed for the invasion of Earth. We will simply wait here until the enemy makes a tactical mistake and then we will crush them completely and efficiently."  
  
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"I demand to know why we cannot go through with your plan now!" Zhou Yu screamed at Zhuge Liang. "I swear to you that if you are double crossing Sun Jian, you will rest at the center of the black hole with Cao Cao!"  
  
"I warned you before we began this expedition that there were many details to see to. The longer you scream and yell at me, the longer those details will take to finalize." Zhou Yu shook out his sleeves in anger and stormed from the room. Zhuge Liang went back to the ship that Pang Tong was living on and said to him : "Are you ready?"  
  
Pang Tong agreed that the time was ripe. The two teleported to the hold of Cao Cao's flagship and Zhuge Liang left him there while he went back to Zhou Yu's flagship. Pang Tong lost no time at all. He put his hermits robe on and placed his giant hat upon his head. He went up to the viewing deck where he knew Cao Cao would eventually show up.  
  
As expected, Cao Cao came out after him to look at Zhou Yu's military formations to decipher any errors in the Angel's arrangements. When he spotted Pang Tong on the deck, he immediately said, "Who are you?"  
  
Pang Tong turned, making sure his hat would cover his face. "I am called Pang Tong my lord?" Cao Cao looked at him carefully, puzzled by the human's behavior.  
  
"Take your hat off so that I may look at your face."  
  
"I'm sorry my lord, but I do not wish to offend you. I suffer from a horrible skin disease which makes me unfit for viewing."  
  
"Who are you?" Cao Cao was definitely suspicious now.  
  
"I am the captain of the third archery division, my lord. I had an idea about how to defeat Zhou Yu and I wanted to share it with you. I knew it was wrong of me to come here like this, but the idea is so simple that I fear it may have been overlooked."  
  
"What is it?" Cao Cao said angrily. "If it is truly a good idea, I will let you live."  
  
"Sir," Pang Tong said, "It takes away too much of your power keeping individual energy shields around all 5000 ships. If you were to contain all of the ships in one shield, it would free up more of your strength - strength that will help you crush not only Zhou Yu, but Liu Bei as well."  
  
Cao Cao stared at the strange man for a while, not saying anything in response. Finally, he said, "Go now human, but never approach a God again. If you do, I will kill you myself." Pang Tong left, but he was pretty sure that Cao Cao would take the advice since he had been allowed to live. He quietly went down to the holding area and waiting for his friend Zhuge Liang to come and rescue him.  
  
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Cao Cao's Generals were all against the idea. Cao Ren insisted that it would leave them vulnerable to fire attacks. Cao Cao scoffed at the idea. "Do you not remember Hu Lao Gate? The Great Red Hare could not hurt us because no fire can travel in the vacuum of space. There is no oxygen to keep the flame alive."  
  
And so, Cao Cao erected one large energy shield around his fleet, giving him back much needed power. After this happened, Zhuge Liang went into the hold of Cao Cao's flagship and rescued his friend Pang Tong, taking him back to the other fleet. "Stay here now Pang Tong," he said to him. "The attack is about to begin."  
  
To be continued... 


	15. Chapter 15

ROTK - War of the Gods  
  
Chapter 15  
  
Zhuge Liang appeared in Zhou Yu's chamber aboard his flagship and said simply, "It is time." Zhou Yu jumped up from his desk and ran up to the deck where his generals were already assembled.  
  
"We await your command," Huang Gai said.  
  
Zhou Yu lifted his arms up high into the air and the fleet began moving as a gong was sounded. The archers ran to the tops of their ships and prepared for battle. "This is the moment of truth Zhuge Liang," Zhou Yu said. "Live or die, we do it together."  
  
His fleet of 500 warships crossed the top of Chi Bi, ever careful not to drop down below the hole's event horizon. Ahead of them, they could see that Cao Cao's fleet was assembling quickly and the Gods were coming forth from their ships.  
  
"Archers ready," Zhuge Liang shouted. The army of archers raised their bows up and drew back the strings. Zhuge Liang looked to see the status of the 20 special archers who wielded the chemical laden arrows. Everything would be decided in a few short moments.  
  
Cao Cao's archers began firing from hundreds of yards away. Cao Cao's strength was certainly in the enemy troops. Without individual energy shields for the ships draining him, he was able to make his archers stronger and more accurate. The hail of arrows shot through Zhou Yu's archery units like lasers, cutting down hundreds upon hundreds of men.  
  
"Now!" Zhuge Liang yelled as the arrows fell around him. It was a premature attack, but he knew there was no choice. They would be destroyed where they were unless they did something... anything. The sky was filled with arrows flying back and forth between the two fleets. Suddenly though, one of Cao Cao's ships caught fire. One of the arrows had struck!  
  
It was all Zhuge Liang needed. He lifted up his hand and whipped up the air inside the giant energy shield, creating an intense wind. The flames leaped from ship to ship, devouring hundreds, and then thousands, of vessels.  
  
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Cao Cao stood on the deck of his flagship, looking out in horror at the fire that consumed his fleet. There was nothing he could do. If he lifted the energy shield, the fires would be extinguished, but his troops would be killed instantly in the vacuum of space.  
  
"Impossible," was all he could say. He reached out with his mind and felt the enemy fleet. There, the Angel Zhuge Liang allowed his presence to finally be known by Cao Cao. "No!!" Cao Cao screamed. "He's tricked me again!"  
  
The smoldering bubble that was Cao Cao's fleet, slowly began sinking toward the black hole. As the ships hit the event horizon of Chi Bi, they were sucked down into the huge dead star, crews and all, never to be seen again.  
  
Cao Cao and his Generals lifted up into the sky and away from Chi Bi. Their defeat had been complete, and although Cao Cao's rage threatened to take hold of him, he knew better than to let a defeat turn into a funeral for himself or one of his children. Instead, he teleported back to Mars with his children, his mind set on one thing alone - revenge.  
  
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Zhuge Liang turned from the scene of devastation and looked at the Gods that were assembled there. They were all looking at Chi Bi in amazement. All of them that is, except Zhou Yu. The other Angel was staring directly at Zhuge Liang with the blankest expression Zhuge Liang had ever seen on another person. And then, a trickle of blood passed over his lips and down his chin.  
  
Zhou Yu fell to the deck of his flagship, moving his arm away from his chest and revealing an arrow which struck straight threw his heart. Sun Jian's children gasped in shock when they saw the fallen Angel. They rushed to his side and lifted him up, but it was clear he was already dead. He had died standing up, staring at Zhuge Liang.  
  
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They held a ceremony for him on the way back to Earth and it was a vivid reminder to them all that even the Gods and Angels were not immortal. When they arrived at Earth, Sun Ce stopped Zhuge Liang before he went down into the hold to retrieve his friend Pang Tong,  
  
Taking hold of the Angel's shoulder, Sun Ce whispered into his ear, "I can make my father believe that you were behind Zhou Yu's death. If you do not hand over possession of the Earth's moon in one month's time, I will make that happen. Then, not only will you lose your precious moon, but also Earth itself."  
  
Sun Ce stepped away from the Angel and then turned away. He needed no response.  
  
Zhuge Liang quickly went down the hold of the ship and gathered his friend Pang Tong. They went directly to Liu Bei's chamber and reported everything that had happened at Chi Bi and also about what Sun Ce had threatened.  
  
"I'm sorry Zhuge Liang," Liu Bei said, "but I cannot allow Sun Jian to take the Earth's moon as his own. From there he could launch any sort of surprise attack."  
  
"Our minds think the same," Zhuge Liang said. "We must think of some way to stall them."  
  
"Yes, and while you do that," the Lord said, "Guan Yu will go to the moon to safeguard it from any attempt by Sun Jian to take it prematurely." They agreed on this plan and Zhuge Liang went by the 29th day and appeared before Sun Jian to stall for more time.  
  
"Great Sun Jian," he started to say, but he was cut off.  
  
"Do not come in here attempting to deceive me! Stand up Angel and look in the eye!"  
  
Zhuge Liang stood from his kneeling position and looked into Sun Jian's eyes. He continued his oratory. "Before your request to transfer the Earth's moon to your authority, Liu Bei began a small colony of enchanted humans there. They were working to bring atmosphere to the satellite, but it did not work. The moon is simply not suitable for living."  
  
"I was unaware of any colonies there," Sun Jian said. "What of it anyway? I know that you have come here to postpone the transaction, but hear me now Angel - I will not allow it."  
  
"The colonies have not yet been disassembled," Zhuge Liang began to say.  
  
"Well then, I will acquire all that is there."  
  
Zhuge Liang knew that Sun Jian would not give in right now. Perhaps in the morning he would have better luck. "I am not feeling so well right now, your majesty," Zhuge Liang said. "Could I perhaps have a room for the night and we can continue this discussion in the morning?"  
  
"That is fine," Sun Jian said, "but my answer will be the same in the morning." With that, he stood up and left the room. The same servant boy as last time stepped forward, ready to show Zhuge Liang to his room. Sun Jian had agreed to let Zhuge Liang stay for the night pretty quickly. Had he suspected that the Angel would stall in this fashion and plan accordingly? Was he walking into a trap?  
  
Zhuge Liang pushed these thoughts from his mind as the servant led him to his guest quarters in the Great Temple of New Jiang Dong. Surely Sun Jian had no reason to kill an Angel. He got to the room and saw that it was a nice, comfortable chamber. Much more inviting than the waiting room he had been in the last time he was here. "Thank you, that will be all," he said to the servant, who seemed to be standing there waiting for something.  
  
The boy left and Zhuge Liang laid down on the bed and tried to remember the last time he had slept. It had been over a week, and he was pretty tired. He closed his eyes and began to drift off to sleep when he heard a noise. He opened his eyes and looked around the room, seeing nothing. But then, there was movement in the shadows next to his bed.  
  
He stayed perfectly still, waiting to see what would happen. He gripped his white fan tightly, waiting to defend himself with it. Suddenly, a cloaked figured emerged from the shadows and rushed toward him. The glint of metal was unmistakable in the moonlight. They had a weapon!  
  
To be continued... 


	16. Chapter 16

ROTK - War of the Gods  
  
Chapter 16  
  
The figured pulled back it's hood to reveal the Goddess Sun Shang Xiang underneath. She dropped her chakrams, which were her weapons of war, and kneeled down beside Zhuge Liang. Tears streamed from her eyes, but she made no cry. Instead, she whispered to him with only the greatest effort, "I'm sorry to come to you this way, but I fear this may be my last chance."  
  
"What is wrong my dear," the Angel asked, sitting up in his bed. She clung to his hand as if she clung on for her very life.  
  
"I cannot continue to live this lie. I've known since the day I arrived that I had made the wrong choice. I knew it was the wrong choice before I ever decided. I should not be here with Sun Jian. I should be on Earth with Liu Bei..."  
  
Zhuge Liang pulled his hand away and stood from the bed, turning away from the Goddess. He knew he could not take her back with him. "What you ask," he said, shaking his head solemnly. "It is too much."  
  
She ran to the other side of the bed where the Angel stood, again taking his hand in hers. "Am I to suffer for an eternity on account of one mistake?" Zhuge Liang again shook his head. He could think of nothing to say to her, so instead she continued. "Every day that I wake up next to Sun Jian, I die a little more. I am the Goddess of War, Zhuge Liang. Was I not supposed to be attracted to his fearlessness? How is it that I made the correct choice when Liu Bei suffers too..."  
  
She was pleading with him, asking for a mercy that he was not entitled to give. "The correctness of your choice is not what concerns me, my lady. You have made a decision and a commitment to Sun Jian. The consequences of that decision are yours alone to bear. If you were to come back to Earth... I fear that many more would suffer. Indeed, they would suffer a fate far worse."  
  
She took her hand back slowly and turned from the Angel. "I came here seeking not your permission, Zhuge Liang," she said, a sudden change coming over her. "I possess the ability to leave at any time."  
  
"Why then?" He asked coming up beside her. "Why do you torment me so?"  
  
"Torment?" She asked in amazement. "Year in and year out I lay by Sun Jian's side, feeling as if I am betraying Liu Bei each time that I do. There is no one here that I may confide in, and you speak to me of torment? I will tell you why I came here, Zhuge Liang. Not once have I heard someone tell me that I do not have to suffer through this silently. Not once has another been able to truly know my heart. Coming to you this way, I hoped that somehow I would gain the encouragement needed to follow my heart. I will not receive it from you though, I understand that now."  
  
She was quiet for a while. "Then what will you do?" He finally asked.  
  
"I will do what I must," she replied, speaking as if she were speaking to herself. "Good bye Zhuge Liang." With that, she vanished from the room.  
  
The words she had spoken last repeated over and over in Zhuge Liang's mind. There was hidden meaning, but Zhuge Liang could not decipher it. Had she gone to Earth without him? Was his mission now pointless? When Sun Jian learned of her betrayal, he would surely not allow Zhuge Liang to stall any longer. Fearing the worst, he went back to Earth.  
  
When he arrived at Liu Bei's Temple, he found Zhang Fei there guarding the door. "Quickly," he said. "I must be allowed to see our Lord."  
  
"No one is allowed in," Zhang Fei replied gruffly. "Not under ANY circumstances."  
  
"You fool," Zhuge Liang cried. "Your brother Guan Yu will surely be killed!" Zhang Fei thought about it for a while, but he was intoxicated and suspected a ruse on the Angel's part. Liu Bei had been very specific that under NO circumstances was he to have visitors. He told the Angel that it was impossible. "Well then," Zhuge Liang said. "At least tell me if he is in there with the Goddess Sun Shang Xiang."  
  
Zhang Fei thought about this too for a while, but still suspecting a ruse, he replied, "I cannot say."  
  
"Well, would you tell me if she was not in there as well?"  
  
Zhang Fei was too intoxicated to understand, so he replied, "I'm not sure..." Zhuge Liang knew then that Sun Shang Xiang had indeed come to Earth to be with Liu Bei. Now, Guan Yu was certainly at Sun Jian's mercy.  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
Sun Jian stormed into his throne room, his face flush with anger. He shouted at his assembled officers, "Zhuge Liang has kidnapped my wife! All of you, go now and take possession of the moon from Liu Bei. From there, we will launch an invasion of Earth. Liu Bei has gone too far this time."  
  
Immediately, the officers Lu Meng, Taishi Ci, and Sun Ce set out for the moon. They were expecting to find the settlement there that Zhuge Liang had spoken of, but instead, they found a huge fortress on the light side. Surrounding this fortress was an army of enchanted horsemen led by none other than Liu Bei's human brother, Guan Yu.  
  
The man with the beautiful beard rode out across the white dunes and began to rail at the three Gods. "How dare you come here before the details of the transaction have been finalized! This shall be viewed as an act of war, followers of a pretend God!" Guan Yu rode out at them furiously. Though he was only human, his presence struck fear into the hearts of the three Gods.  
  
"Lu Meng," Sun Ce shouted out. "Meet him in combat!" Lu Meng flew at the approaching horseman, holding up his glaive so as to behead the man as he passed. Guan Yu was quicker though and raised up his magnificent sword, Blue Moon Dragon, just as Lu Meng passed.  
  
The weapon's clashed with a force strong enough to kill anything in a one hundred mile radius. Guan Yu's troops though, were protected because of their enchantment. Guan Yu jumped down from his horse and began to duel the God on foot. "Attack!" He yelled across to the army that stayed ready to strike at the base of the fortress.  
  
The force, 2000 strong, came on at top speed, heading for the two Gods Sun Ce and Taishi Ci. A fierce battle erupted as the two sides clashed. Guan Yu had numbers on his side, but Sun Ce certainly had the strength advantage. He and Taishi Ci were knocking away horses and riders, blasting them high into the air because of the low gravity.  
  
After fifty bouts with Lu Meng, Guan Yu realized that his force was almost completely decimated. The Gods were simply too powerful for the small detachment of enchanted humans. After the last of his troops were crushed by Taishi Ci's twin clubs, he and Sun Ce turned and watched the battle that raged between Guan Yu and Lu Meng.  
  
Lu Meng was losing ground to the enormous human, but suddenly, Lu Meng grew to twice his normal height. Guan Yu backed up defensively, gripping his weapon intensely with both hands. "You have fought a good battle human," Lu Meng said to him, "but this ends now."  
  
The God swung his glaive at Guan Yu, but the human was able to jump to the side and roll away. Lu Meng now loomed high over him and Guan Yu knew there would no almost no way to land a hit now that the God's reach had been doubled.  
  
Lu Meng's weapon began to glow a bright red as the brought it down powerfully upon the place where Guan Yu stood. Rather than role away again though, as he knew he could, Guan Yu decided to hold his ground. He raised his Blue Moon Dragon over his head and put all of his enchantment into the weapon.  
  
The glaive struck it hard, producing a large explosion and sending a powerful shockwave across the surface of the moon. The two men were locked together, pressing as hard as they could against the other. The human's strength was shocking to Lu Meng, and he was saddened that he would have to take the man's life.  
  
"You have fought well Guan Yu," he said, "and you have earned a proper burial. Perhaps if you had chosen the true God of Heaven and Earth to serve, we would have been friends."  
  
"There is only one true God," Guan Yu shouted out. "And his name is Liu Bei!" He pressed Lu Meng back and began swinging wildly at the God's legs for they were all he could reach. Lu Meng effortlessly blocked the attacks and then spotted an opening in Guan Yu's approach.  
  
He blocked the Blue Moon Dragon one last time, and then swung his glaive in from the side. It struck Guan Yu on the waist, cutting the man into halves. Lu Meng shrank down to his normal height and looked down at his fallen opponent. "Though I am absolutely certain that I am in the right," he said to Sun Ce who had come up as well, "I cannot escape the feeling that his man's death shall trigger my own."  
  
Sun Ce laid his hand upon the other God's back and assured him, "He was only a human."  
  
---------------------------------------------------  
  
Atop the mighty fortress which had been constructed there, Zhuge Liang watched on as the three Gods crowded around Guan Yu's fallen body. A single tear escaped from the Angel's eye and fell forty stories to the ground below. A tiny diamond appeared on the surface of the moon where the tear struck.  
  
"Live or die," he whispered, "they will do it together."  
  
To be continued... 


	17. Conclusion

War of the Gods Conclusion  
  
Dear Fans,  
  
War of the Gods was supposed to be a huge epical piece, but I ran out to steam halfway through the thing and don't really want to finish it anymore. I wrote a summary of the whole thing though, way back when I first started writing it, so I thought it only fair to let you all know in what direction I was taking the story. Here is the end part of the summary that I wrote back before I ever started Chapter 1. I know, it's rather anti-climactic and un-pretty sounding, but you get what you paid for. which is nothing. Heh heh.  
  
Sun Shang Xiang falls in love with Liu Bei and runs off to him. Sun Jian is so overly pissed that he makes a full scale attack on the moon, killing Guan Yu. Liu Bei and his followers land on Venus at a place called Yi Ling and there a battle erupts. At the battle, Sun Jian learns of a wise boy named Lu Xun. He kills him and resurrects him as his new angel. Liu Bei is decisively beaten back to Earth, and Zhang Fei is killed in the process. Liu Bei is sad, but then Sun Shang Xiang delivers him a son - Ma Chao, God of horses, and he feels a little better.  
  
Cao Cao, upset mostly with Sun Jian, knows he must go past Earth to get to his enemy. So, he tricks Lu Bu into killing Diao Chan and joining his force with his new son, Lu Wei. They invade earth and attack at Wu Zhang Plains. Lu Bu calls forth all dead people buried on earth to join in the battle also calling forth dragons and monsters.  
  
Liu Bei is pushed from earth, but not before Zhuge Liang gets one of Cao Cao's followers Jiang Wei, to betray Cao Cao and kill Lu Bu. Liu Bei then flees earth and heads for the moon. Lu Meng is there, but FINALLY Liu Bei kills him and has revenge for his brother's deaths.  
  
Lu Wei changes his name to Dian Wei and becomes the new son/bodyguard of Cao Cao.  
  
Cao Cao isn't sure he can defeat Sun Jian anymore, and Jian is aware of that. He makes a full scale assault on Earth at He Fei, bent on killing Cao Cao off for good so that he can focus his attacks on Liu Bei. The attack is a complete failure. Cao Cao learns of a warrior living in He Fei named Zhang Liao and convinces him to join. Enchanting the warrior, Liao is able to defeat Sun Jian in battle. His children, in shock, order a full retreat. Cao Cao's fortunes are turning around.  
  
Liu Bei doesn't know what to do without any followers and becomes sad. Zhuge Liang says they should go to Mars since Cao Cao is away. They go there and defeat/kill Cao Ren who was there protecting it. A messenger comes bearing news from Sun Ce that he wishes to join forces to defeat Cao Cao just like they did at Chi Bi. Liu Bei agrees reluctantly, and they both attack earth.  
  
The World War rages on for several years, killing most humans on earth and also many gods, demi-gods, angels, and enchanted humans. The landscape of the planet is forever changed also. Cao Cao is killed, Sun Ce is killed.... Sima Yi, the angel takes control for Wei and Sun Quan takes control for Wu. Liu Bei is so overly devestated at what has happened to Earth, that he does not want to continue living. He kills himself, ending the Shu Dynasty. Most of his followers, rather than submit to Sima Yi or Sun Quan, decide to go out into space to find the secret gate that will take them back to the spiritual world.  
  
As the battle rages, the climates of Venus and Mars go back to normal, killing all humans that lived there. Now, the human race is only about 10 percent of what it once was... All because of the desires of the Gods.  
  
The humans start to resent the Gods and come to Zhuge Liang's side. He promises that it he is to win the war, he will banish all mythic creatures that had helped destroy the land to the spiritual realm. He found the gate and came back. The humans work with him to defeat Sun Quan and Sima Yi... They are both captured and Zhuge Liang takes them both with him to the spiritual world. Zhuge Liang's human friend, Pang Tong is given full authority over the people of the earth... To help them repopulate and rebuild.  
  
Conclusion : The Gods would never interfere in human affairs again. 


End file.
